Lie in the sound
by Cocoboheme
Summary: He was grieving the love of his life and he was sure that his heart will never heal. She didn't believe in love she thought it was a mirage. They came from two different world and despised each other, but as we know life is full of surprises. What if the thing that they needed the most was just each other? AU - OOC Naley, Brucas and Jeyton.
1. Prologue

**So this is a Naley major story but there'll be hints of Brucas and Jeyton. This story is very AU and OOC. Just take a shot I'm sure you're gonna like it.**

* * *

><p>Like every morning Nathan woke up early. Not because he wanted to but because he had to. If it was entirely up to him, he'd never leave his bed. <em>One more fucking day <em>he thought. He wasn't standing yet when someone knocked on his room door.

"You can come in." Nathan answered loudly.

The young woman pushed the door with difficulty. When she finally managed to come in, she stared wide-eyed while looking at the big mess in the room. There were clothes everywhere, on the floor, on the bed, on the desk even on the plasma. There were leftovers of food too, it was gross.

"Ew... What the hell Nate? It's a real pigstie in here!" Brooke exclaimed with disgust.

"Well good morning to you too Baby sis'!" Nathan streched before he headed for the bathroom lazily.

"Whatever. So Grace is having breakfast, I bathed and dressed her and her schoolbag is in the foyer." Brooke informed his brother while he was brushing his teeth.

"Hold on a sec, you do drop Gracie off at school, right?"

"I'm sorry, today I can't..."

"Brooke! Neither do I! I have a meeting at 8 am."

"And I have to pick twenty dresses for a shooting, I'm already late. On the other hand, you are the CEO of your damn company, nobody can fire you. Meanwhile my boss is only waiting for an excuse to kick me out." Brooke explained before the ringtone of her phone interrupted her.

"Great!" Nathan said sarcastically. Brooke picked up her phone and left, slamming the door behind her.

Nathan has been the Scott Group CEO for 5 years now. He was only 21 years old when he took the head of his father's company.  
>It was unexpected, back then Nathan was studying law at Yale and he was a totally different person. Bold, careless, alive and kicking, life had not damaged him yet, at least not utterly.<br>Yale years were easily the best of his life, though he never allowed himself to think about it, it was too painful. Since he had left New Heaven to go back to New York where he has been born and raised, life had only been a succession of dramas.  
>He didn't even remember how it felt to be happy. But he couldn't get discouraged because too many people were counting on him, his sister and Grace to begin with. Even if most of the time it was him who was relying on Brooke.<p>

Nathan was really close to her sister, especially since he had left Yale and went back to Manhattan. He was glad to live with her. He had always protected her, even when they were just kids.  
>She was his only sibling. It was funny that they even managed to got along because they were polar opposites. Nathan was broody, calm and very introverted, he wasn't good at expressing his feeling which made him seemed cold sometimes, on the other hand Brooke was a wild child, bubbly, always in a good mood, she was an idealist, an hopeless romantic. The only characteristic they had in common was confidence, something they inherited from their father. Their tastes were very different too, It was always very difficult to watch a movie together, or to order some food, because they could never come to an agreement. Every morning she listened her pop music very loud and he hated it.<p>

Nathan took a shower and finished to get dressed as fast as he could. When he was finally ready he headed for the kitchen.

Grace was watching Phineas & Ferb on Disney channel_._

"Goodmorning Princess, how you doing this morning? Did you take your antibiotic?" Nathan said a little concerned.

"Yes daddy!"

"Promise?" He asked his daughter and she nodded.

"Look at my hair! Auntie Brooke has done it! Am I pretty?" The four years old had a perfect bun. She looked like a ballerina.

"Well it's definitely better when your aunt take care of your hair, she has more skills than me. But no matter how you wear your hair, you're still the most beautiful girl in the world." Nathan marveled at her.

Grace was used to hear this kind of compliment. Sometimes people even stopped her in the street to tell her how she was beautiful.  
>And she really was, she had dark brown ringlets, a porcelain skin, a little turned-up nose, pinkish cheeks and very unique dark blue eyes even more blue than her father's.<br>But she'll never grow tired to listen this from him so she giggled and kissed her father on the cheek.

Nathan gazed at her daughter, he was amazed how much she looked like her mother especially with her bun. Gracie's mother was a ballerina, when he was at Yale, he went to see her dancing on ballet every single week. He loved it. It was his favourite pastime. He could watch her for hours. _God! Victoire, I miss you so much! _Nathan thought to himself.

_"_Daddy you look sad." The little girl noticed before Nathan forced himself to smile.

"No sweetheart I was just thinking about work." Nathan lied. "Alright! We need to hurry, we're already late." He urged her.

"I was just cleaning the table."

"We don't have time, go take your schoolbag!"

"Rosa won't be happy." Grace retorted with a "Just sayin" look on her face.

"I know baby. But I'm really late for work and I have to meet some very important people. I'll apologize to Rosa this evening, alright?" Nathan explained as Grace nodded.

Rosa was the maid, Nathan wasn't particularly thrilled about the idea of having a stranger going through his personal stuff in order to clean the place, but the penthouse was huge and neither Brooke nor Nathan had the time.

"Are you going to bring me to my appointment with Julian after school?"

''It's Friday, so it's aunt Brooke's turn, you know that I bring you on tuesdays, on thurdays and on saturdays. Okay we're ready to go."

* * *

><p>Haley and Jake were about to open the door, she was holding a muffin with a candle on it. They came in slowly without making a noise. Lucas was lying on his bed sleeping soundly. They were sitting down on the edge of his bed. Jake was counting mutely making signs with his fingers.<p>

"Happy birthday Sleeping beauty!" They screamed in unison.

"What the fuck! I almost had a heart attack!" Lucas shouted.

"Someone is in a good mood!" Jake stated sardonically.

"Come on make a wish Luke!" Haley asked before Lucas grabbed his phone on the bedside table.

"Jesus fucking Christ! It's only 7 am, are you out of your damn mind?" Lucas called out putting down his phone before he covered his head with a pillow then Haley started to tickle his feet making him struggle with her.

"Seriously get out! You will have all day to annoy the hell out of me! Please? I'm dead beat." Lucas begged them and Haley and Jake stopped.

"Thank you." Lucas sighed of relief.

"Don't thank us already, it's gonna be a long day." Jake warned. They standed up and Haley left the muffin on the bedside table.

* * *

><p>In the kitchen Haley was taking everything she needed to bake waffles.<p>

"Well, he's definitely not a morning person." Haley stated.

"Yeah I know but it was funny." Jake chuckled.

"Bothering him is my favorite thing, it gets funnier and funnier each year." Haley rejoiced.

Haley was preparing the waffle batter while Jake was turning on the TV, he flicked to MTV, there was a rerun of Sweet sixteen.

"I can't stand those little brats. Seriously they just need someone to slap them some sense!"

"At this point I don't think a slap would be enough, they're just pretty much screwed!"

"So, what are you still doing here?" Jake asked to Haley while wallowing on the sofa.

"Oh I took the day off." Haley simply replied.

Jake jumped off the sofa and walked towards Haley then he put his hand on her forehead.

"Are you sick?" He joked.

"Very funny."

"You never take a day off, actually I know you since college and I've never seen you on holiday, ever!"

"Okay Mister Bloomberg asked me to stay at home today. He hired me 3 years ago and apparently I worked everyday since."

"You're insane, you're worse than I thought." Jake exclaimed before Haley threw waffle batter at him.

''James you don't want to go there!" Jake warned her.

One minute later they were covered with flour and the kitchen looked like a battlefield.

Haley James wasn't the kind of girl who was covered with flour. She was too responsible for that. Her friends considered her as an uptight and crazy workaholic who never took time for herself. She was working for the mayor Bloomberg, she had been hired just after her graduation at Princeton. She was mayor spokeswoman. For her, politic had always been obvious, she was a true republican and debates with her friends and her familly was passionnate considering that nobody can't stand her 'right-wing' ideas. She was born in a hippie family, with 6 siblings and she was the youngest.

* * *

><p>Brooke was choosing some dresses at Marc Jacobs when her phone rang. She put down the dresses that she was holding between her hands and picked up her phone.<p>

"Yeah Nate, what's going on?" Brooke asked a little worried.

"Nothing, I just wanted to remind you to take Gracie to her apointment."

"I remember Nate, like every friday." She said tiredly and she imediatly hung up the phone.

Brooke would do anything for her niece and her brother, basically everything. It was her family, it was very important for her, truth to tell nothing was more important. She didn't have another brother and their parents were gone, so it was only the both of them but they certainly could counted on each other.  
>Life had been very tough on them but she handled it quite well, on the other hand her brother wasn't doing so good.<br>Brooke was very concerned about Nathan. He never wanted to talk about his issues and always said that everything was ok but she didn't buy it, it was just delusion, he was a time bomb just waiting to explode.

* * *

><p>Nathan arrived in his premises company, he was a bit late. Every employee said hello to him before he came in his associate's office.<p>

"Goodmorning Nate!"

"Hey Peyton how you doing?"

He had started to work with Peyton four years ago, she was a very good friend.

"Fine. The chinese people are waiting for you in the meeting room."

"They're already there?" Nathan asked "Great!" He added with a fake smile.

"Hey, you're the one who are late. Speaking of which, why are you late? Did you finally get laid? Who is she? I want to know this woman, God! finally you fuck someone brains out!" Peyton said really excited.

"Are you done?"

"Come on! You know you can't live without me, you just don't want to admit it, besides who would help you to find your soulmate if it wasn't me?'' _You can't find my soulmate because I already met her _Nathan thought to himself.

"Oh sure! Like that once when you hooked me up with a lesbian. Oh! Or even better yet with that nymphomaniac! Thanks but no thanks."

Nathan was a single dad and he was pleased with that. Actually the last time he was with someone it was 4 years ago. It was Grace's mother. Besides it's not like he could bring some random girl at home. Even if he could he wouldn't because he wasn't healed yet and at this point he wasn't sure he would ever be.

"It's not my fault if you're really hard to please." Peyton replied raising her eyebrows.

"Whatever. I was dropping Gracie off since Brooke couldn't. Can we go now?"

"Er... I'm working here."

"Yeah but you speak chinese, don't you?"

"Well... I wouldn't say that. My mandarin is very approximate." Peyton said while Nathan seemed very hopeless.

"You know what? I'm gonna call Spencer, she spent 2 years in Hong Kong." Peyton said as she picked up her phone and dialed the number.

"Hello it's Peyton, can you go up to the fifth floor in the meeting room, Mr Scott needs you and your mandarin skills." She asked to the employee and she hung up the phone.

"Spencer is going up to the meeting room."

Nathan was relieved, he didn't want to make a fool of himself, he didn't speak chinese at all. In fact he had learned spanish and french despite the fact that his father ordered him to learn chinese because it would come in handy on the labor market. But he had a really better reason than to fit labor market : 'Love'.

* * *

><p>Haley was polishing the entire house when Lucas finally surfaced. He was only wearing a boxer, he had shadows under his eyes and his hair was messy, he looked like crap. Haley catched her phone.<p>

"Smile!" She surprised him.

"You're a pain in the ass, you know that?"

''You started this! Remember when you took a picture of me looking like a hamster because my wisdom teeth had been removed. Consider it payback!" She said as Lucas roared with laughter.

"I still have it, so be nice. Speaking of which..."

"What do you want now?" Haley anticipated.

"Well I need a favor."

"Don't you always?"

"I would love you to come tonight." He asked her before Haley shook her head.

"At the club? No way! You know I hate this kind of place!" She refused and Lucas pouted.

"Please! It's my birthday, I can't celebrate my birthday without my BFF!" He begged.

"As if! You just want me to come because I'm the only one who doesn't drink so I can take you home."

'"That's not true, well maybe a little. But you are my best friend, I know you since forever and it wouldn't be the same without you Hales!" He tried to convince her.

"I hate you!"

Haley and Lucas had grown up together. They were born and raised in Tree Hill, North Carolina. They had never been separated until college, she went to Princeton and he went to Duke. They had met up in New York quite by chance, Haley had her political career and Lucas was a writer so he moved to the City to publish his first novel two years ago.  
>When he arrived Haley was living with her friend Jake, he immediately got along with him, so naturally he moved in with them. Cohabiting wasn't always easy, mostly because she was a cleanliness freak and they were pigs.<p>

* * *

><p>The meeting went well and they had struck the deal. Nathan was relieved. His partner and him had sucked up these people for months, they were major accounts and there was lots of money at stake.<p>

"We did it Clay!" Nathan high fived Clay.

"We have to celebrate." Clay said as Peyton entered in the office.

"Maybe you can find him a girl. A this point it's like the poor guy made vow of chastity!" Peyton joked.

"Peyton has a point, your love life is pathetic." Clay mocked him.

"No it's inexistent!"

"Give me a break. Anyway I stay at home toni..." Nathan started to say before Clay cut him off.

"See you're a killjoy. Come on, live a little!"

"Some of us have responsabilities, I have a girl who is waiting for me at home."

"Too bad that she's only four." Peyton replied as Nathan sighed.

"Seriously dude you can't go on like this. Let it go! Grace is ok, she'll understand if you go out sometimes." Clay tried to convince him.

"But she's not, alright! She'll never be ok!" Nathan yelled at him.

"Ok just calm down!"

"I know you worried about Grace, and I know you are scared. We get that! But please would you get some fun just for once? No one will take your #1 Dad mug anytime soon. I promise." Peyton tried to convince him as well.

"Whatever. I have to call the baby sitter because Brooke will probably want to come." He finally gave up as Clay was giving a high five to Peyton.

* * *

><p>Brooke was waiting in front of Grace's school. The kids came out running towards their parents. She could see her niece from afar walking. Brooke called her and Grace quickened her pace and hugged her aunt.<p>

"Hey sweetie, how was your day?"

"It was cool, Ashleigh has invited me to play with her this week end, do you think I can go?"

"I don't think so Gracie, you know you have apointments this week end." She said but seeing that Grace was disappointed, Brooke kneeled down and cuddled her.

"But we can ask to daddy if Ashleigh can come home instead. What do you think?" She suggested.

Brooke was satisfied when she saw that her niece was smiling. She took Grace's hand and raised her other hand for a cab. One cab stopped right in front of them immediately. They both settled in the back.

"Hi, 834 fifth avenue." Brooke ordered to the taxi driver.

"It's Julian who's coming today?"

"Yeah I have some work to do at home, it's more convenient like this. Besides it's the same for you, right?" Brooke said before Grace nodded.

They arrived at their destination and Brooke paid the taxi driver.

"Keep the change." She said and the taxi driver thanked her and drove away.

Grace went towards the doorman.

"Hello George!"

"Hello Miss Grace." He smiled at her. "Hello Miss Scott."

"Hi George!"

They all appreciated George, he was nice and polite. His son was 5 years old so he played with Grace sometimes. They hardly arrived that they already heard the elevator. It arrived straight in the foyer like most of Upper East Side penthouses. It was Julian.

"Hey everyone! Gracie how are you today? Did you have any difficulties to breathe?" Julian and Brooke were looking at her carefully.

"I'm fine."

The truth was that Grace had always difficulties to breathe but some days were worse than other days.

"Good! Are you ready? He asked as Grace nodded. "Alright, let's get this over with." Julian said that every single time, because he knew that it was very unpleasant but it was essential for Grace.

She was very sick and these sessions kept her alive. When Grace was born she seemed perfectly normal. Like every newborn, she had a screening test. Her parents were very happy until they found out the results. She was diagnosed with a cystic fibrosis. From this moment everything changed, the disease dictated their lives, every single day, every single minute.  
>When the doctor told them the news and all the consequences, it attacked her pancreas, her lungs, her liver and her intestine, Nathan and Grace's mother reacted very differently. She cried for weeks, it was too much to take. Nathan was numb, he couldn't feel anything but he had to keep going, he had to be strong, he had to handle this for his wife and his baby girl.<p>

Julian was Grace's physiotherapist, he helped her to breathe better. He had to drain her every single day.

* * *

><p>Haley was hopeless, she had nothing to wear for tonight. She took every clothes out of her wardrobe. <em>Great! I have to go shopping. As if I needed this.<em>

She got her handbag and got out of her room. It's been ages since she went shopping, she hated this and it was good because she didn't have time for this kind of triviality. She didn't even know where to shop. It was times like these she wished her roomates were girls. _I guess Bloomingdale's still exist on the 59th. _Lucas and Jake weren't here so she carefully locked the door behind her. They rented a pretty little house in Brooklyn, the boys would have loved to live in Manhattan but Haley wanted a garden and a porch with a swing chair, it reminded her of her childhood. She had almost the impression that she was still in Tree Hill.

She was looking for a dress, a classy one, the last thing she needed was to be spotted looking like a slut. She wasn't famous but sometimes people recognized her. Haley often appeared on NY1 due to her job. She picked two dresses and went into a changing room.

She finally took a pretty little white dress very uncluttered by Diane von Furstenberg. She was very self-satisfied.

* * *

><p>Nathan finally came home and Grace cuddled up with him. She was a daddy's little girl.<p>

"Hey sweetie, I missed you." He said as he started to stroke her hair.

"I missed you too Daddy." She replied when suddenly she had a coughing spell.

Nathan didn't panic because sadly he was used to it. He knew that Grace would end up to controling this eventually.

"You feel better?"

"I'm used to it."

"I know that, but it didn't make it any less painful." Nathan said as Grace took her father's hand.

"Daddy, stop worrying about me. I'm okay." She reassured him while Nathan was smiling.

"Princess, I'm your daddy, it's my job to worry about you, I'll never stop worrying about you even when you'll be forty years old. Besides you're only four now."

"But I'm very autonomous, responsible and I'm not stupid for my age." Grace said with mischievousness and Nathan burst into laughter.

"You're a lot of things sweetie but definitely not stupid."

Grace was endowed with lots of qualities as if nature compensated for her disease. She was kind, brilliant, funny, soft, caring, talented and she was way too beautiful for her own good. It was difficult to believe that she was sick because she was so radiant.

"Hey Buttercup! Does it bother you if daddy go out with aunt Brooke, Clay and Peyton tonight?" He asked his daughter as Brooke looked at her brother surprinsingly.

"We're going out tonight?" Brooke said jumping for joy.

She didn't have often the opportunity to go out with her big brother.

"If it's okay with Gracie yes." He said as Brooke flied into Nathan's arms.

"Hold on, Gracie didn't give her consent yet." They turned towards Grace.

"Have fun daddy! I don't want to disappoint aunt Brooke."

"You sure?" Nathan made sure that Gracie was ok with that new development.

"I said it was ok. Besides I can't watch TV late with Kelly."

"Remind me that we need to find another baby sitter." Nathan joked then he sat on the sofa and turned on the TV on NY1, Haley was speaking on the screen.

"God I really hate that uptight chick!"

"You don't even know her." Brooke replied.

"I think she's really pretty daddy." Grace remarked.

"Whatever I still can't stand her." He said as he changed the channel. There was a Gilmore girls rerun on ABC family.

"Please, that's my favorite show, Lorelei is so funny." Brooke begged him and Nathan sighed.

"You were already annoying me with this shit ten years ago."

"C'mon it's legendary, you can't not love Gilmore girls, it's like you don't love chocolate everybody loves chocolate!" Nathan gave up and rolled his eyes. He knew it was pointless to argue with Brooke. She always had her way.

* * *

><p>At the club Haley was sipping an orange juice while Lucas was sitting next to her and ordered a whisky on the rocks.<p>

"Wow we're here since what? Two minutes and you're already drinking."

"C'mon give me a break it's my birthday, and by the way you should follow my lead."

"If I do that who is gonna drive us home?"

"I don't know, have you heard about this awesome thing? It's called a cab?"

"Yeah smart ass, and what do we do with my car?" She asked as Lucas was rolling his eyes then Haley held out a present to him. He opened it and frowned.

"A very expensive fountain pen?"

"You're a writer or what?"

"You know we're in 2012 and I'm pretty sure that writers don't use a pen since a several centuries."

"It's for autographs, I'm sure you'll need this very often." She flattered him as she smiled at him.

"Thanks Hales, you're the best but you know what would really please me?" He said as Haley shook her head.

"I'd love to see you live your life."

"And by live my life you mean drink my ass off?"

"I don't know, being drunk, dancing, doing bungee jumping or whatever. Stop being so grown up, be wild for once, just have fun."

"I have fun... sometimes."

"Well, most people haven't fun cleaning the bath tub with a toothbrush. Just saying!" He mocked her as she was staring wide-eyed.

"That is so unfair, I'm not that bad!"

"Of course you are!"

"Whatever... Bartender!" She called the bartender as he turned around towards her.

"Can I have a martini please?" She ordered and Lucas was surprised, he couldn't believe that their conversation was effective.

"What?"

"Nothing." He smiled.

"Where is Jake?" She asked and Lucas pointed his finger towards Jake who was dancing with a random girl.

* * *

><p>Nathan, Brooke, Peyton and Clay were at the entrance of the club. Brooke wore a lovely little black Chanel dress with black Louboutin heels, she was stunning as usual but she was shivering.<p>

"I told you so. You're freezing." Nathan laughed at his sister.

"Not at all." Brooke lied.

"C'mon you're trembling you dork!" He mocked her before she pinched his arm.

"Ouch! Are you out of your freaking mind?" He yelled as she looked threateningly at him then he took off his jacket and he put it on her shoulders before he smiled at her.

"I know you like the back of my hand." He said amusedly as she rolled her eyes.

"Would you stop bickering? Both of you." Peyton said edgily as Brooke and Nathan laughed at the same time.

"You should get used to it, besides I love the angry Brooke, she's sexy, anyway every versions of Brooke are sexy." Clay said having a blissful look while Nathan noticed it.

"Fuck off dude!" Nathan warned his friend.

"What? It would be great, your sister with your best friend, just think about it."

"Oh I don't want to think about it at all, she's out of your league, is that clear?"

"I can't believe this, if I wanted to hang out with Clay, it wouldn't be your damn business." Brooke complained about his brother's behaviour.

"Besides Clay, I'm Nate's BFF." Peyton joked and with that Clay got lost in his toughts while Nathan gave him a poke.

"Seriously stop it, right now!"

"I'm not doing anything."

"So you're gonna look me in the eyes and tell me that you weren't picturing my sister and my best friend having sex?" Nathan said waiting for an answer even if he already knew it.

"Well..." Clay hesitated.

"You're a pig!"

"Why? I always thought that if I was a lesbian I could do Brooke!" Peyton said as Nathan and Clay were staring at her.

"Thank you honey, I think you're hot too." Brooke played along.

"Good Lord! I need a drink ASAP!" Nathan said after he sighed while the girls laughed out loud and had a high five. Clay approached Brooke.

"So you and me, after the club, at my place?" Clay asked her as she smiled at him before she replied.

"Down boy! But you can dream on."

"Well done Clay" Peyton mocked him

"What? Are you volunteering?"

"I'd rather be stuck at a fucking Justin Bieber's concert with Rick Santorum and Mitt Romney."

"Ouch! You're tough." Clay replied.

* * *

><p>In the club Jake and Lucas had spotted Brooke and Peyton who were dancing.<p>

"Look at these hot chicks!" Lucas said to Jake.

"Well! They're fine." Jake replied as Lucas nodded in agreement.

They walked towards them and started to dance with them. Naturally Lucas came closer to Brooke and Jake to Peyton. Not far from them Nathan and Clay watched them at the bar. Nathan clenched his fists.

"I swear to God if this son of a bitch touch my sister..."

Nathan had always overprotected Brooke but nobody couldn't blame the guy, he saw his sister cry because of a bad guy so often, he just couln't stand this anymore, it was too painful to watch.

On the dance floor Lucas put his hands around Brooke's waist.

"That's it!" Nathan stood up determined to punch the guy.

"Nathan!" Clay tried to hold him back from doing a stupid thing but he was too angry so Clay decided to follow him. Brooke saw him arrived.

"Uh oh! This is not good... at all." She said as Lucas turned around and saw Nathan too.

"You have a boyfriend?" Lucas asked her.

Brooke wanted to respond to him but Nathan cut her off.

"Who the fuck do you think you are?"

"Listen dude..." Lucas tried to explain himself.

"Nate stop it!" Brooke warned her brother.

"I'll stop when he'll stay the fuck away!"

"I'm just right where the fuck I need to be." Lucas provoked him as Nathan was losing patience, then Clay took place between the two to prevent them from fighting.

"Like hell you are!" Nathan shouted.

"Guys calm the fuck down!" Clay said as Jake helped him to separated them seeing that the situation was aggravating.

"Luke! Just come with we." Jake commanded Lucas and he gave up and followed Jake. They went to sit with Haley. She had already drank a few cocktails and she was tipsy.

"What a jackass!" She said. She saw them fighting.

"Well, he's her boyfriend so I guess he has the right to beat the crap out of him." Jake said to Haley.

"I can't believe she had a boyfriend. Besides the guy is a douchebag. Seriously why girls always fall for guys like him?" He asked to Haley.

"Because he's totally hot!" She simply replied as the boys looked at her in disbelief.

"What?" Apparently Haley had not paid attention to what she was saying.

"Do you just said that the guy was hot?" Jake said while laughing.

"I'm not gonna lie, he's damn fine even if he's a jerk. I'd totally do him." She confessed as Lucas took her glass from her.

"Okay I think you had enough."

"I think she can catch a break besides it was your idea." Jake pointed out.

"Whatever you want, but I'm not responsible of her." Lucas said annoyed. He was still mad at Nathan.

"I'm at the bar, I'm gonna take another drink."

"Easy Hales!" Jake said as she pouted so he left her alone.

At the bar Nathan was alone drinking while the others were dancing. _What am I doing here? _He thought. A few years ago he would have been the first to enjoy the party but now he was just a fun sponge. At Yale he was a fratboy and he was known to throw the craziest parties of the campus. Now he couldn't let it go, he just felt so bad, his ill-being was so deep and dark, he knew that no matter what, it will never be okay and it will never stop to hurt. _Life is a bitch until we die_ he thought to himself before a women sat next to him and ordered a drink.

"Do you threaten every guy who approach your girlfriend?" She asked to him but Nathan didn't reply, he didn't figure out she was speaking to him.

"I'm sorry, do I know you?" Nathan asked her while she was staring at him.

"Sorry you don't know me but you just almost punched my friend!"

"That punk is your friend? Well I'm the one who's sorry." He said to bother her.

"What is your problem? You think you're better than everyone huh?"

"I don't think I'm better than everyone I just know it."

"Cocky much, don't you think?"

"You're mixing up cockiness and confidence. I'm just realistic. Sorry if you can't handle it." Nathan said.

He was sure that he had already seen her but he just couldn't replace her.

"God your ego is crushing me!"

"It's not anybody who can handle a guy like me."

"Lucky me because I hate guys like you."

"And I think you want me but as the uptight chick that you are you won't admit it."

"You must be kidding me. You and I we're like Lindsay Lohan playing in a good movie, never gonna happen."

"I never said I wanted you."

And with that he was gone, except that he forgot his wallet.

* * *

><p><strong>Please leave a review it won't take a long time and it really motivate me to keep going.<strong>


	2. Chapter 1

**So here's the second chapter, I would like to thank LionsLady11-09-70 and alwaysthemockingjay for helping me with the plot and the grammatical mistakes. Also the people who left a review. It meant a lot to me. Disclaimer : I own nothing (besides James Lafferty aka Nathan Scott in my dreams, the good one) OTH and the characters belong to Mark Schwann and the CW. Good reading**

When Haley opened her eyes a headache hit her. She left her bed and put on her slippers to go to the kitchen. Jake was already making breakfast, putting fruit into a blender before turning it on.

"Mmh! Turn it off!" Haley grumbled.

"Hangover?" Jake smirked, turning the blender off.

"This is so unfair, you've drank three times as much as me and you still look like Cinderella on waking." Haley pouted.

"Thanks... I guess. But it's because you never drink and I'm used to it... Wow! I sound like an alcoholic."

"I'll never drink again and yes I'm totally aware that everybody said this after their first hangover."

"Whose wallet is this?" Jake asked.

"The creep who wanted to punch Luke, remember?"

"Well I can bring it back to him, if you want. I got his friend's phone number."

"You mean blondie's phone number?" Haley snarled.

"You never know. Maybe she's the one." Jake nodded amused.

"You've known her for what? 2 minutes and she's already 'the one'. Let me tell you how this will end. You're gonna fall in love, in fact you're gonna believe that you're in love but you won't be, at least not for real. You're gonna sweat because you haven't picked the right shirt to go out on your first date with her, spend an insane amont of money for her birthday, valentine's day, your one week anniversary, your one month anniversary and if you're lucky for your three months anniversary! Hell! Let's be crazy for your six months anniversary! She'll force you to watch Dirty dancing, Titanic and every single stupid cheesy chick flick that ever existed. You'll have to listen to her rambling about her boss who was so to hermean or her poor cat who catched a cold! You're gonna argue about anything and everything. You'll have to pretend that you like her taste in music and your ears will bleed. And all of this suffering for nothing besides to get your heart broken and have the privilege to keep the weird clothes that she had bought you."

''Are you done? First of all, I can't believe that you used this old speech again. You already told me that when I was with Carrie."

"See, that's exactly the point!" Haley said, before Jake cut her off.

"Second of all I know that Carrie is a bitch but I regret nothing. Hopefully I'll have this feeling again, but obviously you don't know what I'm talking about. And third of all, what is wrong with you? You have the most beautiful example of love. Look at your parents, they've been married for thirty five years and they still love each other. I mean how can you not believe in love after this?" Jake said waiting for an answer.

"I..." She wanted to respond but she couldn't find the words.

"Whatever Hales." Jake gave up her before walking out of the room. Haley sighed resting her head on her arms on the kitchen table. She never meant to upset Jake. She was just looking out for him and didn't want him to get hurt like the last time. That's what best friends do, right?

* * *

><p>Nathan was in the library playing a Chopin nocturne on the grand piano. His mother taught him to play when he was little. She had taught Brooke as well but she didn't play like her brother. Once, when he was three, his mother had caught him on the piano. Obviously he had no idea how to play but he was tinkling away and actually, it was melodious and beautiful. From this moment his mother knew that it was a gift from God, so she started to teach him and later when he became too talented for her, she hired the best piano teacher in the city.<p>

The notes resounded all through the penthouse. Grace was going down the stairs and approaching her father quietly. She waited until he finished the piece.

"You're sad again." She spoke and Nathan turned around.

"Why? No sweetie I'm fine."

"You're lying, you always play Chopin when you're sad." Grace remarked.

"And you're way too smart for a four years old. Come here." He signaled for Grace to sat next to him.

"Can you talk to me about her?" Grace asked.

Grace knew that her father was sad because he was thinking about her mother. She knew that because most of the time it was the cause of her sadness too. Her mother was gone too soon for Grace to have any memory of her but when her father described her it was almost as if she was just right there with them.

"Sure Buttercup! What do you want to know?" He hated talking about his dead beloved wife, but it's not like he had the choice. He couldn't ask his baby girl to leave him alone.

"Tell me about when you first met her." She said excited. She knew the story by heart. Nathan smiled at her and started to tell the story as if it was a fairytale, even if they hadn't get their happily ever after.

"Once upon a time, there was a beautiful french princess..."

"Was mommy really a princess?" Grace interrupted him.

"Well she definitely looked like one... So there was a beautiful french princess who was bored in her tower. She dreamed to discover the world and to learn lots of things. So she asked her father to get into college in North America. She sent several letters of intent to the best colleges in the United States. She was a very bright girl so almost every letter she received were acceptance letters. She was hesitating between Princeton and Yale, it was difficult to make a decision so she decided to go to see for herself..."

**FLASHBACK**

Nathan had just finished his football practice and he was totally sweaty and knackered. He was the Yale Bulldogs quarterback. He was getting ready to head back at the frat house when he saw this girl sitting on a bench from afar. She was very good-looking, graceful and kind of different of the other girls he used to know. So, he approached her. He couldn't help it, he just had to know her.

"Hi! You aren't from here, are you?" He asked her.

"Pardon?*" She spoke in french.

"I'm sorry babe, I don't speak french. But you're definitely my type." He said cockily.

"Et je ne suis pas intéressée espèce de crétin!*" Nathan didn't understand a word.

"I'm throwing a party tonight, I promise you it'll be hectic. I would love to see you there."

"Dans tes rêves.*" She continued to speak in french and she went away.

"Good, see you there!"

_I need to learn french. _He thought to himself.

**END OF FLASHBACK**

* * *

><p>"Give me the fucking wallet Hales!" Lucas demanded impatiently.<p>

"I don't think so. If you go there, he's gonna kill you and I don't even know why at this point but care too much about you to have that happen."

"C'mon I have to see her! I'm obsessed with her Hales. I think about her every single minute, it's driving me nuts." He begged her.

"Are you serious? And what if you knock on her door and it's him who opens the door? What do you think is gonna happen?"

"I don't care, I just have to see her." Lucas begged as Haley rolled her eyes.

"Okay, but I'm coming with you. You owe me one."

"Thanks you're the best Hales!" Lucas said, bringing Haley into a hug.

"Group hug!" Jake said to them, throwing his arms around the both of them.

Lucas and Haley laughed as they let each other go. They both looked at Jake to see him smiling from ear to ear.

"So I have a date tomorrow night." Jake informed them, excited.

"Congratulations bro', for once you made it!" Lucas teased him.

"Screw you! At least I know her name. Why do you bother anyway? Women are all the same for you."

Lucas was a womanizer and he had a string of girls. Most of the time he didn't even know their names.

"I don't know, it's not the same, it's more difficult."

"Oh I knew it. You can't help it. She's with another man so it's a challenge."

"Jeez! Give me a break Jake!" Lucas was annoyed.

Jake and Lucas were total opposites. Jake was an hopeless romantic and Lucas was a serial womanizer. Jake liked getting to know the girls he went out with. Lucas preferred to not have his women spend the night with him for fear that he would get too attatched.

"Stop bickering! Lucas, I have a lot of things to do today. So let's go as fast as we can, okay?"

"Where is it?" Lucas asked.

Haley took the wallet and opened it. She read the address on the ID card.

"Wow! 834 fifth avenue. That's something."

"Good luck with that! You're gonna need some." Jake laughed.

"So what? She's rich, it's not a big deal."

"Imagine she doesn't even live with him."

"I guess we'll see very soon." Lucas replied.

* * *

><p>Lucas and Haley stood in front of the building. It was one of the most beautiful buildings on the fifth avenue. They both came from a modest background, their parents weren't poor but definitely not rich.<p>

"So this is it!" Lucas said and Haley nodded. They walked toward George, the doorman.

"Excuse me sir!" Haley spoke to George.

"What can I do for you miss?" Haley looked at the ID again.

"Does a Nathan Scott live here?"

"Sure the Scotts live on the last floor." And with that Lucas' smile just vanished.

"We found his wallet, can we come in?"

''Wait here, I'll call up for you." George asked them gently.

"They're married." Lucas whispered in Haley's ear and she shrugged.

* * *

><p>They were in the foyer when Brooke welcomed them.<p>

"Hey mysterious boy and girl who I have no idea who you are! What are you doing here and how do you know where I live? Don't get me wrong I'm glad you found me mysterious boy but are you stalking me? it's kinda creepy!"

"Oh no, it's nothing like that! Haley found your husband's wallet." Lucas reassured her.

"My husband? I'm not married." Brooke corrected him.

"Okay your boyfriend if you prefer." Haley replied.

"Who are you talking about?"

"The dick who wanted to beat me, your boyfriend." Lucas told Brooke.

"That dick would be my big brother. He's overprotective, sorry about that, but he's adorable when he wants to be." Brooke explained with a laugh.

"I doubt that." Haley said rolling her eyes.

"You could be surprised."

_Again I really doubt that. _Haley thought to herself.

"Come here!" Brooke told them as she walked to the living room.

"I don't even know your name, pretty girl. Oh and by the way I'm Lucas."

It was obvious that Lucas and Brooke were flirting with each other and for Haley it was nauseating. She wanted to disappear.

"I'm Brooke, Brooke Scott." She replied smiling blissfully. Haley was clearing her throat.

"Oh and this is my best friend Haley."

"Nice to meet you Haley. It's weird, it's like I had seen you before. Do I know you?" Brooke asked her.

"Maybe you saw me on TV. I'm the mayor Bloomberg spokeswoman. I'm often on NY1." Haley explained.

"I know that I had seen you before. You are more beautiful in reality."

_Damn, she certainly knows how to make a compliment._

"Thank you. I'm sorry where is the bathroom?" Haley asked Brooke.

"There is a bathroom on the right at the end of the corridor opposite to the library."

The corridor was like a museum. There were pieces of art everywhere. Haley wasn't at the end of the corridor yet when she ran into Nathan.

"What are you doing here?"

"I'm looking for the bathroom."

"No I mean what the hell are you doing here at my place?" Nathan asked annoyed.

"Oh! We came here to bring you back your wallet, you have left it at the club." Nathan hadn't even noticed that he had lost his wallet.

"_We_? Please Tell me that the bastard isn't alone with my sister in the living room." Nathan was heading for the living room with Haley following him.

"Don't talk about my friend like that! Oh and you're welcome!"

"Trust me I don't want to talk about him at all, now would you shut your mouth? It's annoying."

"You are so rude."

"And you're a pain in the ass, so I guess we're even."

Nathan and Haley found Lucas holding Brooke by her waist as they were enjoying their make out session.

"Are you fucking kidding me? Get your fucking tongue out of my sister's mouth, now! Or I swear I'll kill you!" They both jumped when they heard him.

"Are you threatening me?" Lucas asked amusingly.

"This is not a threat, it's a fucking promise!" Lucas was clenching his fists.

"Nate please just calm down!" Brooke pleaded, trying to reason with her brother.

"Brooke I don't have time for this shit. Besides, I have to pick up Gracie in 15 minutes."

"Okay it's over! Let's go Lucas!" Haley said, trying to calm Lucas down.

"Nothing is over. Once I'm done with him it will make the battle of Normandy look like a game of fucking paintball!"

"Come on Lucas!" Lucas gave up and followed Haley. He made a sign to Brooke to call him and she nodded.

"Seriously? You've got some nerve. Get the hell out of here!"

Haley ushered Lucas out as they took the elevator back down to the ground floor.

"I hate that motherfucking asshole!" Lucas shouted.

"Well if you continue to see his sister, eventually you'll have to learn to tolerate him. Besides you'll have to avoid kissing her again at their place if you enjoy your life. I'm just saying!" She joked.

"I'm not scared of him."

"I don't know about you but as far as I'm concerned, I never want to see that guy again."

"Said the girl who think that he's damn fine and said she would totally do him!" Lucas teased her.

"What? I would never say that!"

"Oh yes you did!" Haley blushed as they laughed. Haley punched Lucas on the arm as they walked out of the elevator. They linked arms and walked out of the building, leaving all the craziness behind them.

* * *

><p>"You're not gonna see him again, is that clear?" Nathan clarified.<p>

"Last time I checked you weren't the boss of me Nathan!"

"Maybe I'm not your 'boss', but I'm your big brother and it's my duty to protect you. And this guy is a douchbag, so you're not gonna see him again, end of the discussion!"

"I can take care of myself..."

"No you can't! Every guy you've dated takes advantage of you, and it's not gonna happen again. I know what kind of creep he is."

"You were that kind of creep a few years ago, then you met Victoire and you became the husband that every girl wishes for." Nathan sighed.

"Listen Brooke, you're my family, you know that I want you to be safe and happy, don't you?"

"Sure." Brooke nodded.

"So just trust me for once, he's not for you, that guy is a player. He just gonna promise you everything you want until you sleep with him then dump you, and you're gonna end up with a broken heart. Again!"

"Okay whatever you want." Brooke didn't insist. Anyway she knew that it would be pointless because her brother was very stubborn when it came to her safety, though she didn't intend to give up on Lucas. She'll just have to see him behind her brother's back.

"What about you?" Brooke said mischievously.

"What about me?" Nathan asked.

"Haley!"

"Haley? What the hell are you talking about?"

"I think she's very cute and I'm sure you have a thing for her."

"What? Pl-ease, I would rather date Sookie, Snoochie or whatever the hell is her name from that stupid show."

"So suddenly you know who I'm talking about! That's interesting."

"Like I give a fuck about her! I don't even know her!"

"Oh you know her!"

"From where?" Nathan asked his sister.

Brooke took the remote control and turned on the TV on NY1 hoping that Haley would be on the screen.

"You must be kidding me! So the annoying girl is the annoying uptight republican chick Bloomberg's spokeswoman? And you think I like her?" Nathan laughed out loud.

"Well..."

"She has the know-it-all attitude and she's probably rooting for Santorum as the new President. She's a freaking republican for God sake!"

"So?" Brooke didn't seem to understand why he despised her that much.

"It's just nonsense! Plus I'm really not into the whole 'I love guns and play cowboy' thing." Nathan satirized.

"You're explaining me why you don't like republicans, but I'm not talking about republicans, I'm talking about Haley."

"Same thing. She's a republican!" Nathan maintained.

"You can't be so sectarian. Our father was a republican..."

"Wrong choice, he was a dick."

Dan Scott was a respected businessman and he was highly esteemed as a man but he was a terrible father and husband. He wasn't home often and when he was, he spent his time to belittle his children and to insult his wife. Verbal abuse is maybe the worst because it's twisted. It doesn't leave traces of its damages but it doesn't mean it's any less painful. Luckily their mother balanced it, she loved their children enough for both of them.

"Well maybe it wasn't the best choice. But if I remember right Clay is a republican and he's your best friend."

"Okay I don't hate all of them but I still don't like her, like really really don't!" Nathan was looking at his watch.

"Damn it! I'm late to pick up Gracie!"

To say that Nathan and Haley couldn't stand each other was an understatement. But you know what they say, when you hate someone badly, you must be hiding something.

**Here's the traduction of the french sentences:**

_***Pardon? : Sorry?  
>* Et je ne suis pas interessée espèce de crétin : And I'm not interested moron<br>* Dans tes rêves : In your dreams**_

**Please leave a review and don't hesitate to ask questions, I always reply!**


	3. Chapter 2

**Thanks for the ones who left a feedback. It really help to keep going. And for ones who didn't, don't hesitate the next time! So some of you said that Haley was a ''bitch'', well she obviously had her reasons, you'll see later.**

**Here's the next chapter, hope that you're gonna like it.**

**Good reading!**

* * *

><p>For the past month, Brooke and Lucas were getting closer and Nathan had no idea about it. When Brooke hung out with him, she lied to Nathan, saying that she went shopping with Haley. Haley covered for them because Lucas was her best friend. Plus, it bothered Nathan and she liked that more then anything. She was the only one who knew about them since Lucas didn't want to tell Jake because he was dating Peyton.<p>

It was Friday evening and Jake invited Peyton at their place for the shabbat dinner. It was a tradition, even if Lucas and Haley weren't jewish. Every single week a few friends came over here and Jake cooked a traditional shabbat dinner. Everybody was sitting quietly around the table while Jake was lighting the candles.

"Baroukh ata Adonaï, Elohènou, melekh ha olam, asher kiddeshanou bèmitzvotav vètzivanou lèhadliq ner shel shabbat." Jake recited the prayer.

"Shabbat Shalom!" Everybody said and they started eating.

"So, we have this costume ball for Halloween every year at work... and I think it would be great if you came, you know since we're dating each other and Haley is kind of friends with Brooke... Oh! And Lucas you should come too!" Peyton suggested to them.

"That sounds nice!" Jake said enthusiastically.

"Good! So Haley, Lucas, are you in?" Peyton asked.

"Actually..." Haley trailed off.

Seeing that Haley wanted to decline Lucas kicked her in the leg under the table because he knew that it would be awkward if he went there without her.

"Ouch... Actually I would be thrilled to see Nathan Scott in a ridiculous costume." Haley joked.

"Then it's settled! I can't wait!"

Jake kissed Peyton's forehead as she put her head on his shoulder.

"Look at them they're so cute." Lucas mocked.

"Shut the fuck up!" Jake responded as he threw his napkin towards him.

"I'm trying to be nice.''

''Like I believe you."

Lucas made a face at Jake while Jake flipped Lucas off before diverting his attention back to Peyton. Jake and Lucas were always bickering but all things considered, they really appreciated each other.

* * *

><p>The next day Haley was at work writing a press release. She was really good at it because she was a perfectionist. She worked from Monday to Sunday before sunrise to sunset and she even brought work home. In other words she didn't have a social life. She was deep in concentration when her phone rang. Haley didn't answer at first, hoping not to break her concentration. But whoever was calling her kept trying to reach her. Haley groaned as she flipped open her phone to answer it.<p>

"Haley James..."

"Hey it's Brooke, what's up?"

"Well I'm working. Why are you calling?" Haley didn't want to sound rude, but she was in a hurry.

"I was wondering if you would have lunch with me." Brooke asked.

Haley looked at her watch. It was almost 12:30. She had the rest of the day to finish the press release, but she wanted to finish it as soon as possible. But a lunch break wouldn't kill her, especially if it was with Brooke. Even if she wasn't Brooke's biggest fan, she knew it would annoy Nate if he ever found out.

"Why not. Where?"

"Meet me at Eleven Madison Park at 1 pm okay?"

"I'll see you then." Haley replied before hanging up the phone.

Haley was surprised that Brooke even asked her to lunch. She didn't know why Brooke wanted to meet her, they weren't close and she was just Brooke and Lucas' cover. But Haley wanted to know the girl who dated his best friend because even if Lucas had more love interests then he owned socks, there was something different this time and Haley could feel it. He genuinely liked the girl. Besides, he never stuck with a girl for an entire month.

Like every Saturday, Nathan had brought his daughter to work in order to spend much time with her. When he was finished, he went with Grace to her appointment. Then they went to the MET and at the end of the day he brought her to have dinner at the restaurant. Saturday was always their day. Today, they were in his office with Clay. There were pictures of models spread out on his desk.

"You have to pick a girl, just pick one!" Clay urged Nathan.

"I don't know Clay, they don't fit. I want a girl like Snow White, you know, dark hair and porcelain skin. I don't know I just have this vision..." Nathan explained as Clay nodded.

"Ask auntie B." Grace said while she was drawing in a corner.

"Sweetie I know that Brooke works for a fashion magazine but I don't think she have time to find us a model."

"No, I said that aunt Brooke could be the model. Look! She's really pretty and she kind looks like Snow White. She would be perfect!" Clay listened to Grace more carefully.

"I think it's a really good idea! She's beautiful and it's your sister. Who could be more perfect than her to be the face of this company? I mean doesn't she own half of it anyway?"

"Technically yes. But she made it pretty clear that she wanted nothing to have to do with all of this and frankly I can't blame her."

When they found out about their father's death, Brooke and Nathan were on really bad terms with him because of their life choices. Dan wanted Brooke to run the company with her brother so she accepted to study law and business at Columbia for him, but she wasn't blooming at all. So when he died she decided to do things just for herself. He also didn't approve of Nathan's girlfriend at the time. He hadn't even spoke to him for a year, and Nathan was very pleased with that.

"She'll never be okay with that."

"Unless..." Clay looked at Grace.

"What?" Nathan asked.

"Maybe Gracie could do the advertising as well..."

"Hell no! She's only four years old for God sake!"

"I'm almost five!" Grace yelled. Grace felt like doing this. She was such a girl, to be a model was like to be a princess for her.

"My baby girl won't be put up all over the country. No way in hell!"

"Daddy please! I want to do this with auntie B." Grace begged with a pouty face.

"Thanks Clay. Really!" He said with a sarcastic smile. He was mad at Clay but he had to watch his mouth when he was around his daughter.

"Okay here's the thing, if aunt Brooke is okay to do it, you could do it with her. Deal?" Nathan just couldn't say no to her when she was doing her pouty face, it was his weakness. But he also knew that there was no way Brooke was ready for this. Then Nathan kneeled down and he held out his hand.

"Deal!" Grace shaked his hand as she thought about how to convince her aunt to do the advertising. She had a few tricks up her sleeve.

* * *

><p>"I can't believe you are a Kappa Alpha Theta, we're sisters!" Brooke said very exited.<p>

"Yeah, it's unbelievable." Haley replied, appreciating the fact that Brooke was always enthusiastic.

"So you are a true New Yorker?" Haley asked.

"Yep, born and raised. Actually since our mom died, Nathan and I raised each other. We were all alone."

"I'm really sorry, I didn't know..."

"No it's okay, don't worry." Brooke reassured her.

"How old were you?"

''Nathan was 9 and I was 7, it was tough and our father was always away on business trips. So my brother took care of me."

"I guess he wasn't the psychotic jackass that he is now." Haley just couldn't help it.

"Excuse me?" Brooke said, surprised that such words came out of Haley's mouth.

"Did I say that out loud?"

"Yeah that was harsh!"

"Sorry I probably shouldn't have said that."

"No, it's not because he's my brother that I don't know he could be a real nuisance sometimes, but he had lots of things to deal with and he's a single father so try to be tolerant with him." Brooke spoke in Nathan's favor.

"I'm gonna try but it won't be easy. By the way Grace's mother, she left him because she couldn't stand him anymore, didn't she?" Haley joked. She hadn't seen Grace yet, Brooke had just talked about her with Lucas so she knew that Nathan had a daughter and that he wasn't married so she presumed that she left.

"Yeah… she kinda left." Brooke didn't expect that question. It caught her completely off-guard.

"Peyton told me that you'll come next week to the costume ball. I'm so excited. We could go shopping to find a costume!" Brooke wanted to change of subject.

"I'm not so sure about this." Haley grimaced.

"Why? I guarantee it's really fun especially since it is Peyton who set up everything. The decorations are beautiful and she always surprises us with really great bands and artists. It's an important event for Manhattan elite, the tickets are very expensive because every penny is donated to the Cystic fibrosis foundation. They had been sold out months ago. Even my boss had kissed my ass for weeks to get a ticket!" Brooke explained.

"I had no idea, it a really great cause. Oh my god! I can't even imagine the pain for those poor kids. If I had a child and the doctors diagnosed him a cystic fibrosis, I would be devastated!" Haley had no clue about Grace's state of health. Brooke had never spoke about it.

They were eating quietly when Haley broke the silence.

"You know I have never seen Lucas with a girl like this."

"Yeah? Because I really like him!"

"It's pretty obvious that he likes you too. I'm not really into the whole 'to be in a relationship' thing, but you're kind of cool and if Luke is happy then I'm happy for you." Haley said genuinely.

"Kind of cool?" Brooke raised an eyebrow. "Thanks I guess. The only problem is Nate, he'll never accept him." Brooke said as she was texting.

"You're pessimistic, I'm sure one day eventually they'll get along."

"I hope you're right." Brooke sighed. "So why are you so against relationships?"

"I have my own reasons, but maybe you know, you're the kind of girl who is cut out for love and maybe it's not in the cards for me, maybe it's just not my fate." Haley said thoughtfully.

"You don't even know how much you're wrong. Love is for everyone! Haley, I'm sure that somewhere there is a man who is waiting for you. I mean that's what it's all about, to find somebody that makes your heart ache in a good way, to lose yourself inside someone else. Because at the end of the day, it's love that makes the world go round. Don't underestimate that."

"I think it's overrated that people need to rely on someone else to be happy. I feel that happiness is up to you, it's an inside job." Haley replied as she picked at her salad.

* * *

><p>Nathan had just texted her sister to see if they could have lunch together.<p>

"Let's go Buttercup! We have to meet aunt Brooke at Eleven Madison Park."

"Sweet!" Grace was thrilled. Even if she lived with her aunt, she was always glad to spend some times with Brooke, she was her role model.

"Hurry up! She doesn't have too much time."

The restaurant wasn't far to the premises company. They arrived in the restaurant. Nathan scanned the whole dining room but it seemed that he couldn't find Brooke. Then Grace noticed her from afar.

"Look daddy! She's right over there." Nathan looked towards the direction that his daughter pointed at. He saw a woman from the back with her. They headed for their table.

"Auntie B.!" Grace called out as she jumped into Brooke's arms. Nathan smiled as he saw the scene, then Haley turned around and his smile vanished.

"Well well! Isn't it my favorite niece."

"Auntie B. I'm your only one niece."

"That is true but you're the best!" Brooke and her niece spoke while Haley and Nathan stared at each other like pet enemies. Grace was already sitting next to her aunt so Nathan had to sit next to Haley.

"Hi I'm Grace Deborah Scott, nice to meet you!" Grace said as she held out her hand in a very conventional way. Haley smiled at her and shook her hand.

"I'm Haley Bob James and nice to meet you too Grace Deborah Scott." Haley replied politely amused by the very formal way that the little girl had introduced herself.

"What do you want to eat sweetie? Brooke could you please help her to choose à la carte?"

"Sure." Brooke started to read her the menu.

"Ew... There is meat everywhere. They even serve veal!" Grace said disgustedly.

"I'm sure you can find something vegetarian." Nathan reassured her.

"Don't be so sure about that. I asked for mac and cheese, but they don't serve it."

"Mac and cheese?" Nathan laughed.

"It's the food of the gods!" Haley replied to him.

"Yeah, if the gods were five years old." He mocked.

"I have to go to the bathroom." Grace whispered in Brooke's ear.

"Excuse us!"

"Hey Buttercup are you okay?" Nathan asked a little concerned.

"My chest hurts a little bit." Grace rarely complained so Nathan knew that his daughter was really in pain. They got up from the table leaving Nathan and Haley all alone. An awkward silence filled between them as Nathan started to check sport scores on his phone.

"Your daughter is really beautiful." Haley told him, trying to break the ice.

"Yeah, she's the spitting image of her mother. She's such a girl and she's kind, soft but strong and so smart, I even forget sometimes that she's only four. I swear she's like a miracle." He was lost in admiration at his daughter and she was impressed to hear the way he spoke about her. She saw a different side of him.

"You seem to do a pretty good job with her."

"I do my best. I mean she deserves the best."

"It must be really hard to raise her alone. Does her mother come often to see her?"

"No she's not in the picture, it's just Grace and me." This question was like a fist in his stomach, he was barely breathing.

"That's interesting."

"What?" He couldn't believe her lack of tact.

"You're a totally different person when you are around her."

"Says who? You?" Nathan was annoyed.

"I just thought..."

"Well do me a favor and stop thinking, okay!"

"What is wrong with you? I was just trying to play nice. But it seems like you're just a pretentious daddy's boy who has no idea how to behave with people." She replied defensively.

"You think you know everything about me, don't you? Well news flash : You don't know me at all! So you should shut the fuck up and stay the fuck away from me!"

"Fine! I'm done. Tell your sister that I'm sorry and I'll call her later."

"Will do!" He said as he forced a smile. Then Haley took her handbag, opened it and took out 50 bucks.

"I think it's enough."

''And what am I supposed to do with that?'' He asked condescendingly

''I don't care!'' She left leaving the money on the table.

* * *

><p>Later, Nathan and Grace were at Julian's practice. Nathan was really worried about his daughter's chest aches. Despite the fact that Grace was sick and suffering most of the time, she was really brave and didn't complain often.<p>

"How you doing today Gracie?" Julian asked.

"I'm fine but my chest is a little bit sore."

"This is worrysome, Grace is tough so I'm pretty sure it's serious." Nathan confessed.

"Alright. Maybe we should check it out. You know an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. But she's probably tired so she feels the pain more than usual. It's very frequent. Bring her in tomorrow morning to the hospital so we can do a CT-scan. It's just a formality, so you need to keep calm and don't think too much about it." Julian spoke to him as Nathan nodded.

"He worries way too much. He just can't help it!" Grace said to her physiotherapist and Julian laughed out loud as Nathan smiled to her.

"That's because your daddy knows that you are the loveliest little girl in the world." Julian flattered her as he was flicking her little turned-up nose.

"So I heard that someone will be five years old very soon, is it true?"

"In 13 days exactly. You should totally come at my birthday party!"

"Do you think that I would miss my favorite patient's birthday party?"

"Sweet!" She said excitedly.

"Okay, l hate to be the killjoy but we have to start. Let's get it over with!"

During the session Grace squeezed her father's hand very firmly without flinching. Nathan knew that it was harder then usual and he couldn't suppress the feeling of pride. He was almost in tears but he couldn't crack up in front of his baby girl so he clenched his teeth until he got over it. _Jesus if only I could take your pain! _Nathan thought to himself.

* * *

><p>In the evening, Haley came home. She was in a very bad moon because of Nathan. She didn't understand why he was so hostile and rude to her.<p>

Peyton and Jake were cuddling and talking on the sofa while the turntable was playing an old Nina Simone record.

"I'm sorry, am I interrupting something?" Haley said with an irritating voice.

"Not at all!" Jake replied as she slammed the kitchen cupboards with anger.

"What's going on Hales? You seem a little bit on edge." He asked to her.

"Nothing!" She said almost screaming at him as she was trying to open a milk bottle without managing to do it. She grew frustrated and broke the bottle, spilling milk everywhere on the work plan and on herself.

"Damn it!" She cursed as Jake got up from the sofa to help her to clean up.

"You know what? Your friend has some issues! He's an ass!" She spoke to Peyton who was still sitting.

"Who? Nathan?"

"Is he always like this?"

"What happened?" Peyton tried to understand the situation.

"I don't know, I was trying to be nice with him and he started to insult me, out of the blue!''

''That's weird, it doesn't sound like him. What were you talking about?''

''You know we were at the restaurant with Brooke and Grace, then they went to the bathroom and I was alone with him. It was awkward so I started to talk about his daughter. I was saying that she was a lovely kid and he said that she was like her mother, so I said that it would be difficult to raise her alone and I asked him if her mother helps him sometimes..." Haley explained

"Oh.." Peyton cut her off understanding right away why Nathan was upset.

"What? Did I say something wrong?"

"I don't know if it's my place to tell you this." Peyton didn't know if Nathan wanted Haley to know about his wife.

"What? Does he have this syndrome? You know when people can't help to swear a lot." Haley joked but seeing that Peyton had a very serious face, she stopped laughing.

"Haley, his wife passed away a few years ago." Haley took a moment to process the information.

"Oh my... I'm a horrible person."

"No, it's not your fault, you didn't know. Nathan never talks about it, it's too hard for him." Peyton reassured her.

"I... I have to go, I... I have to see him. Oh my god I'm an idiot!"

It was already 10 PM, but she didn't care, she just wanted to see him and apologize. She had been really insensitive and rude and her parents hadn't raised her like that.  
>She took a cab and gave Nathan's address to the taxi driver. As she came closer to Nathan's place she had a knot on her stomach. She had no clue of what she's gonna say to him. She arrived and paid the taxi driver. Then she headed for the entrance. She said hi to George and took the elevator. Her heart was beating faster and faster.<p>

Nathan was taking a shower when he heard the elevator. He quickly put a towel around his waist and went down the stairs.

"Hi!" Haley was distracted by Nathan's abs perfectly chiseled.

"Brooke is not here."

"Actually I was looking for you."

"What do you want Haley?" He sighed.

"I know about your wife Nathan." She said gravely.

* * *

><p><strong>Please leave a review.<strong>

**Next chapter we'll see Nathan's reaction and it's gonna be the costume ball!**


	4. Chapter 3

**Hello! I can't believe that there is so many people who read my fic, thank you so much! And for the one who post reviews, it really motivates me, so please keep going! That's funny some of you are team Nathan and the others are team Haley, my goal is that everybody'll team naley at the end. Some of you are also appreciate Brucas and Jeyton so I try to make everyone happy even if it's Naley major.**

**Hope you're gonna like this one. Good reading**

* * *

><p>Haley was alone in the Scott's foyer with no one in sight. <em>It's like this place gets bigger and bigger. <em>She thought to herself.

"Hey! Is anybody there?" Haley said out loud, then she heard someone go down the stairs.

"I'm coming! I'm coming!" Nathan hurried to go down.

Haley got impatient when Nathan finally arrived. He stood in front of her only wearing a towel. She was almost drooling over him while desperately looking for words. _Good Lord! Is it hotter in there? _She shook her head to get back on earth as Nathan was smirking.

Nathan was really good looking and he was very self-conscious. He was tall and muscular with a six-pack perfectly chiseled, and any girl could lose her mind in his very dark blue eyes.

"Hi." Haley said.

"Brooke is not here." Nathan told her, assuming that she was coming for his sister.

"Actually I was looking for you." She hesitated.

"What do you want Haley?" He wasn't particularly happy to see her.

"I know about your wife Nathan." She spat out. She didn't mean to blurt it out like she did, but she didn't know how to start this conversation otherwise. Nathan turned pale and looked away from Haley. He wasn't ready to have this conversation, especially with her.

"I just want to apologize, I didn't think..."

"It's okay. You don't have to."

"No, I have to. You must be in a lot of pain and I made it worse."

"Don't! Trust me nothing can make it better or worse. You didn't know, it's not your fault. I'm okay." He wanted to reassure her just to finish this painful conversation as soon as possible.

"I don't think you're okay. You should talk to someone, you know it's a lot to take." She said as he stared at her with his piercing blue eyes.

''No shit! I think I know it's a lot to take. But I can handle it by myself."

"I know that but you're not alone, you have your sister and your friends. It's not healthy to keep all of this to yourself." Haley was concerned.

"Gee! Always looking at for me." Nathan said sarcastically.

"I'm trying."

"And I don't want to talk about it!" He grew impatient with her.

"Why?" She insisted.

"Because I can't! Because I just want to pretend she's still here with me! Because I'm still desperately in love with her! And because everytime someone talks about her being dead I feel like my world is crashing down all over again. And fucking hell! I hate everything and everyone who is ruining my fantasy that she's still here with me. Happy?" He yelled. He was on the brink of the abyss. "How pathetic is that?"

Haley didn't think he was so broken. She didn't know how to respond to that. She was almost weeping.

"Please don't look at me like this!" He begged her.

"I'm so sorry Nathan... I..." Tears were running on her face. She didn't understand why she was so upset, she didn't even like the guy. She was looking away as Nathan was approaching her. She was shivering as he wiped Haley's tears away with his hands carefully as he forced her to look at him.

"I shouldn't yell at you. I'm sorry for that. It's just that it's really hard for me."

"Maybe you could talk to me. Just think about it, you don't have to pretend with me, you don't even know me." She said seriously.

"Except I don't like you either." He said half smiling at her.

"Oh! So do I." She was smiling at him too.

"Look! We don't like each other, it's law! But we're not afraid to hurt each other feelings and I promise to just listen to you, no judgments." She waited for a response.

''I'll think about it."

"Maybe you could think about wearing a pair of pants to."

"Like you don't like what you see!" He said with a smirk and she rolled her eyes.

"You're unbelievable." They were bickering when Grace interrupted them.

"Daddy I had a nightmare." Grace was still half asleep.

"My baby girl had a nightmare? Come here Buttercup!" He carried his daughter as he stroked her hair.

"I'm scared. I think there is a werewolf under my bed."

"You watched Vampire diaries with Brooke again, didn't you?" Grace nodded.

"I really need to have a conversation with your aunt."

"But what if it devours me alive?" Her voice was trembling.

"Nothing bad is gonna happen to you, okay? C'mon, let me change into something and let's see about this big werewolf of yours!"

Nathan put down Grace and after he put on some clothes. He picked up a baseball bat, then they were both heading for Grace's room as Haley waited there for Nathan. They arrived quietly in front of Grace's door room. Nathan signaled her to stay where she was as he went into her room. In the bedroom, he emptied the big toy box. He was very noisy on purpose so that Grace could really believe that his father was fighting with the 'imaginary' werewolf, but not so imaginary for her. A couple minutes later Nathan came out pretending that he was exhausted.

"Hey Buttercup can you ask Haley to come here please?" She went to get Haley. When they were here, Nathan gave a wink to Haley to signal her to play along.

"Okay there is a big werewolf in there, I took care of it but I need your help to put it in the trunk." Haley nodded but she couldn't help but smile.

"I knew it!" Grace was still convinced that there was a monster in her room. Nathan and Haley tip-toed into the room leaving Grace at the door.

"It would have been simpler if you told her that werewolves didn't exist, don't you think?" Haley said as she was laughing.

"Sure, but tomorrow she's gonna freak out again. She needs to feel safe, that's the point."

"Okay, what's the plan?" Haley asked.

"We're gonna bury the toy box in a yard not so far from here."

Later the three of them were in Nathan's car with the toy box in the trunk. When they arrived Haley stayed in the car with Grace while Nathan was burying it. Then he got back in the car. It was already 2 am and Grace had fallen asleep on Haley's knees. Nathan smiled at the situation.

"She was scared." Haley simply explained.

"Luckily she's light as a feather."

"You have good instincts. She's not afraid anymore." Haley said as she was yawning.

"You seem tired. Let me take you home."

"You don't have to."

"C'mon. It's no trouble at all. Plus you helped me. What's your address?" Haley told him her address and Nathan punched it to the GPS. He drove in silence then he dropped her off and waited to be sure she was safe at home. He was about to start up when he saw a girl from afar who looked exactly like his sister. _What the fuck are you doing here Brooke? _Then he shook his head. _It can't be Brooke, she wouldn't be caught dead in Brooklyn!_

* * *

><p>Brooke was in Brooklyn to pick up Haley and Peyton in order to find a costume. Peyton often spent the night here with Jake lately. Brooke and Lucas were making out in Haley's room while she was taking a shower.<p>

"Fuck! I want you so badly!" Lucas said as he was breathing out with envy. He looked at her with a devilish smile, then he kissed every inch of her neck fervently as his hand was pushing back her bra strap, causing her entire body to flush warm.

"We shouldn't do this here." Brooke said, the words coming out shaky.

"I can't stop, your skin tastes like cotton candy. It's so good!" He hovered over her supporting himself with his left arm as he ran his right hand over her chest. He was kissing her passionately and she was squeezing her eyes shut and moaning in pleasure as he was hitting a particularly sensitive spot.

"Oh my god! My eyes, my eyes!" Haley yelled as she was covering her eyes with her hands. Brooke and Lucas jumped.

"Thanks for the cock-blocking Hales!" Lucas complained.

"You got to be kidding me! Last time I checked you had a room Lucas! So please use it!"

"I'm sorry Haley." Brooke apologized.

"You know we can't, my room is just next to Jake's room and Peyton is here." Lucas explained.

"Not my problem!"

"Fuck! Your brother is ruining my sexual life! Just when I thought I couldn't hate him the jackass more!"

"Easy! It's my brother you're talking about and I love him okay. So please stop talking about him like that! You know he's not a very lucky guy."

"We all have our problems Brooke but it's not a reason to treat people like shit!" Lucas replied.

"I know but it's different for him, I swear it's like he's hounded by a curse." Brooke said vaguely.

"Maybe you could be more understanding and leave him alone Luke." Haley helped Brooke.

"You too? But you hate him!"

"I don't know Luke, you should go easy on him, okay? Just leave him alone." Haley didn't want to explain herself.

"Alright! We have sexy costumes to find!" Brooke said with excitement.

"Mmh! Sexy costume huh?" Lucas smirked then he started to kiss her as they're groaning.

"Ew! Gross! Okay Brooke let's find Peyton! She's downstairs."

* * *

><p>"Jake and I have decided that we'll wear costumes for couples." Peyton said as she was trying an angel costume in a changing room while Brooke and Haley waited to see her.<p>

"This is so not you! You are such a girl since you've been with Jake! It's like you have become...me!" Brooke mocked her.

"Give me a break Brooke!"

"You're unbelievable! You started this!" She yelled as Peyton came out of the changing room.

"Nice Goldilocks! You look like a girl for once!" Brooke said.

Peyton had always been a tomboy, she was very pretty though. Peyton and Brooke grew up together so they've known each other forever. Peyton was Nathan's girlfriend during high school but their relationship was chaotic because Nathan had a huge lack of maturity back then. Anyway they all stayed together. Their friendship had survived three deceased parents, one abusive father and the girls had fallen in love twice with the same boys, so a little romance between Nathan and Peyton was nothing major.

"Jake's gonna like it!" Haley added.

"I don't know." Peyton hesitated.

"Please this is perfect, I'm the devil and you're the angel!" Brooke insisted.

"When I said I wanted costumes for a couple, I wasn't talking about us Brooke." She rolled her eyes.

"Please!" She begged again.

"Alright!" Peyton gave up knowing she was fighting a losing battle.

"Now what we're gonna do for you?" Brooke turned toward Haley.

"Good luck with that!" Peyton warned her as Haley looked a little worried.

"Sexy nurse, catholic schoolgirl, playboy bunny..."

"How about no?"

"Haley, It's a costume party. You just go as a sexy whatever!" Brooke said as Peyton laughed out loud while she was searching a costume for Haley.

"Look at this!" Peyton had find a pretty 20's dress.

"That could make a good Daisy Buchanan look." Brooke approved.

"I like this idea, The Great Gatsby had always been my favorite book." Haley said.

"That's funny it's Nathan's favorite book too." Peyton noticed.

"It's the favorite book of lots of people you know." Even if Haley tolerated him now, she still didn't like him.

* * *

><p>It was the costume party evening. Brooke came in Nathan's room as he was finishing to dress. He was in front of the mirror adjusting little details.<p>

"What the hell are you wearing?" Nathan snapped.

"I'm the devil." Brooke said with excitement as Nathan rolled his eyes. He didn't like it but he also knew that it would be pointless to ask her to change.

Brooke was looking at her brother and she laughed.

"What are you laughing about?"

"Nothing!" Brooke tried to stop laughing.

"Then don't!"

"It's a nice Gatsby costume that you're wearing." She said and burst out laughing.

"What the fuck is going on?"

"Nothing I swear, you look good." She tried to keep a serious face.

"Whatever. Is Kelly is already here?"

"Yeah. She's cooking Gracie's dinner."

Brooke sat on Nathan's bed and she opened her nail polish.

"Jeez Brooke! You know I hate that smell, do you really need to do this in my room?" He complained.

"Yep! Because you're gonna do my toes."

"I wish I had a brother." He said sarcastically as he was heading for his bed, sitting in front of her.

"You know I have never dreamed of another brother than you." Brooke said genuinely.

"I was joking Brooke."

"I know that. It's just I love you Nate." She didn't know why she was suddenly upset.

"Hey I love you too, you're my baby sis'. It's you and me, always have, always will."

"Well it's sad! Nate you're only 26! I don't know maybe you need someone and maybe Gracie needs a mother."

"I don't need someone and Gracie has a mother. Plus she have the most amazing aunt." Nathan smiled at his sister.

"If you say so." Brooke gave him the nail polish and Nathan started to varnish her nails toes.

* * *

><p>There were already lots of people at the ball. The decoration was very trendy and uncluttered and the lighting effects emphasized it. Peyton had hired the best caterer of the town. It was a huge event and every year she was under lots of pressure. The costume thing was all her idea too, she used to hate this kind of high society event, it was a way to add spice to it. Anyway she planned it just because it was for a good cause. The DJ was playing The Sun by The Naked and Famous.<p>

Jake, Lucas, Peyton and Haley were talking among the crowd. Jake was as a doctor, Lucas wore a Jack Sparrow costume, Peyton was as an angel of death and Haley as Daisy Buchanan. Brooke and Nathan haven't arrived yet.

"You did a really good job!" Haley congratulated her.

"Thank you but you haven't seen anything yet." Peyton said proudly as Jake was taking her by the waist.

Brooke and Nathan finally arrived. Nathan was looking around for Peyton when he noticed Haley in her costume. He was surprised that she was as Daisy Buchanan. _She's definitely something! _Then he saw Lucas. _Great!_

They both walked towards them as every guy was drooling over Brooke and every girl was checking Nathan out. They looked at each other and smirked. These two were very confident on the edge of cockiness.

"Why are you late every year?" Peyton said.

"Because..." Brooke started.

"It was a rhetorical question Brooke I've known you since forever, so I know it's because you're such a girl and you were probably doing your hair for hours."

"I have a wig!" Brooke protested.

"Whatever!"

"Hey Brooke! It's been a while." Lucas lied.

"Yeah about a month I think." She smiled at him and Nathan rolled his eyes.

"Wow! You two have costumes couple." Jake laughed at Nathan and Haley.

"It's by sheer dumb luck." Haley clarified while they glanced at each other.

"It's convenient." Jake mocked as Haley glowered at him.

"Okay it's not that I don't like your company, but I have a job to do." Peyton slipped away.

"Where is she going?" Jake asked.

Peyton went on stage and asked to the DJ to stop the music. Then everybody had their eyes fixed on her. So she took the mic

"Hey what's up Manhattan?" She yelled as the crowd cheered.

"Everyone enjoying the night so far?" They continued to cheer.

"First of all, I really wanna thank you for coming out every year! Some of you may know, I had a niece who had cystic fibrosis, she's kinda okay because we are lucky, we are privileged and we have money. But unfortunately lots of people succumb to cystic fibrosis every year, you know the treatment is very expensive. This is not acceptable!" She looked straight in Nathan's eyes while she was speaking and Haley noticed it.

"So tonight we remember their lives by trying to save many lives because for every ticket you have purchased, you all helping the Cystic fibrosis foundation to find a cure and kick cystic fibrosis ass!" The crowd applauded her.

"Thank you and now please give it up for Florence and the Machine!" They cheered loudly as Florence Welch and her band walked onto stage. The music started up and Florence + the Machine began to play 'Dog days are over'.

Peyton headed for her friends.

"I'm sorry Peyton I didn't know about your niece." Jake felt sorry for his girlfriend.

"Actually..." Peyton began.

''It's my daughter.'' Nathan said gravely as everyone stared at him.

"Well technically Gracie isn't my niece but she's like family." Peyton explained as Haley was still choked.

"Grace is sick?" Haley asked Nathan.

"She's doing good, she's strong." He didn't really answer her.

People were dancing around them. Haley was lost in her thoughts when she saw someone familiar. She turned pale. _No way I can't deal with him._

"Haley are you okay?" Lucas was worried about her and she nodded. Then the person noticed her and he walked towards her.

"Look who it is! Haley James with my old friends!" The guy said with a smirk.

"What are you doing here Damien?" Haley said sharply.

"Wait! You two know each other?" Brooke was surprised.

"You bet I know her, tell them Hales!"

"Seriously West what are you doing here?" Nathan asked him. He hated that guy since kindergarten.

* * *

><p><strong>And the madness will continue on the next chapter.<strong>

**Please review. I always reply ;)**


	5. Chapter 4

**Hello my lovely readers! Seriously you rock! I can't believe you're still stuck with me and that you continue to send me reviews, about that it's awesome you give me the strength to keep going, and for the ones who don't have an account and leave me feedbacks as well I'm sorry I can't reply to you, but really you have no idea how much I appreciate it.**

**Someone asked me who is Damien West. Well you have some answers here but there is more to find out.**

**This chapter is really about Naley, but don't worry for the Brucas and Jeyton fans there'll be more about them, the next chapter.**

**Also this chapter contains SEXUAL MATURE LANGUAGE so you've been warned.**

**Okay, I'm done good reading.**

* * *

><p>Haley was lost in her thoughts. <em>This little girl seems so healthy and full of life I can't believe she's sick! This is so unfair<em>_._ Suddenly she saw a familiar face. Haley's face drained of color and she couldn't move or breathe. It was like she saw a ghost. _No way! This is not happening, I can't deal with him._

"Haley, are you okay?" Lucas noticed that something was off. Haley managed to nod but she was paralyzed. Then the person noticed her, they locked their eyes and he walked towards her.

"Look who it is! Haley James with my old friends!" He said with a smirk as Haley was still motionless.

"What are you doing here Damien?" Haley said sharply as she was shivering.

"Wait! You two know each other?" Brooke was surprised and nobody seemed to get the whole situation.

"I bet I know her, tell them Hales!" Nathan didn't pay attention about what they were saying until he heard Damien said Haley's nickname.

"Seriously West what are you doing here?" Nathan asked as he was really annoyed. He hated that guy since kindergarten.

"I came to visit you guys, I missed you!" Damien said trying to sound genuine.

"Cut the crap! Peyton why did you even sell him a ticket?" Nathan asked Peyton.

"It's not me who sold the tickets, Clay took care of this, anyway where is he?"

"I'm really offended you know! Especially you Hales. Where are all of your manners?"

"I don't know they disappeared the same time as my dignity." Nathan was standing next to Haley.

"So you and my ex huh? I guess it's fair enough since I fucked your sister in every single way that was possible." He defied Nathan as Lucas was clenching his fists while Haley processed this new information. "For the record. You're still fucking hot Baby!" He turned towards Brooke.

"Watch your fucking mouth you son of a bitch!" Nathan was about to punch him but Brooke held him back.

"Calm down Damien! Nathan and I are not together, but it's not like it was any of your business." Haley told him.

"I should have known, you didn't get over your frenchie girl yet. It's a shame she's dead, the bitch was so fuckable! I bet she liked it rough!" He provoked him.

"That's it!" Nathan punched him right into his face as Lucas came to help him.

"I'm surrounded by idiots!" Brooke said mentally face palming.

Jake was trying to calm them down when Clay saw them from afar and came to the rescue. Jake held Lucas back and Clay did the same with Nathan.

"You better watch your fucking back West, because I swear to God I will not stop until I destroy your sorry ass, do you hear me? No matter what it will cost to me I promise you I will end you!" Nathan yelled as Damien left. Nathan was hysterical almost into a trance. It took him a few seconds to be back on earth as everyone around him was staring at him.

Florence + the machine had finished to perform so Peyton walked on stage to announce the next band.

"And now ladies and gentlemen this is Gavin DeGraw!" Everybody was applauding and cheering as Gavin Degraw went on stage and began to play 'I Don't Wanna Be' while the crowd sang the song with him.

"I need a drink!" Nathan said.

"Well I definitely need more than one!" Haley replied as they both heading for the bar.

They both sat and Nathan ordered two drinks.

"That's funny, I would never had pictured you with him." Nathan struck up the conversation.

"Why? Because we come from two different worlds?" Haley asked, offended.

"Essentially because he's the antichrist!" Nathan said as Haley laughed out loud. _Tell me about that! _Haley thought to herself.

The bartender served them and they both drank their shot in one gulp so Nathan ordered two more.

"For the record I don't think we come from different worlds."

"I didn't think so either but this relationship taught me otherwise. When I met his family, I really felt like I was nothing, they patronized me to no end."

"Sounds like them. My family and his family used to be close. I hated them."

"You're not so different than him."

"Ouch! It's not because we have the same background that we're alike."

"It's just that you, with all of your money think that you can buy anything or anyone and it makes me sick!"

"If only. The fact is that money never got me anything that I really wanted and I have never been happier than when I was broke." Nathan said as they were continued to drink. Haley was getting a little tipsy.

"Pl-ease! I'm pretty sure that your trust fund is higher than Zimbabwe's GDP." She mocked him.

"Probably. But you know my father never approved my relationship with Victoire so when I told him to fuck off he cut me off. Then we moved in a slum in Paris. We didn't even have furniture besides a mattress. We ate pasta every day for months, but we were so in love that he didn't matter. God! I fucking loved her." He smiled as he was remembering.

"That's so beautiful!" Haley said with a blissful smile, like a girl who was watching a romantic movie. It was so not her so Nathan laughed.

"You're wasted!"

"Not at all! Wait a minute, do you speak french?"

"Oui j'ai appris à parler français.*" He said in a perfect french with a little american accent.

"Good Lord! This is so sexy. Please say something else!" She begged him.

"Tu es adorable quand tu as bu.*" Nathan started to feel the effects of alcohol as well.

"I have no idea of what you were saying, but it was really cute."

The Among savages was about to start to perform when Haley heard the first notes of 'New York City'

"Oh my god! I love this song!" She caught Nathan's hand and forced him to follow her.

"What are you doing?"

"You're gonna dance with me!"

"What? No fucking way, these two feet can't dance!"

"Please! Please! Please!" She begged with a pouty face.

"Fine! You're lucky I'm drunk!"

They started to dance awkwardly in front of each other leaving a certain distance between them. Fifteen minutes later they were still having fun when Trespassers William came on the stage. They were playing 'Lie in the sound', and the slow rhythm of the song forced them to come closer. Their eyes locked together as Nathan hesitated to take her by the waist. Haley was putting her hands around his neck and they began to turn. Nathan was intoxicated by her smell, a mixing of alcohol and Coco Mademoiselle by Chanel.

"You're stunning." He whispered in her ear.

Suddenly, she felt sad, she didn't manage to pretend to be okay anymore so she dragged him out to the restroom. Then she pressed him up against a wall and she kissed him like there was no tomorrow, he kissed her back not really knowing what he was doing. Then she pulled back as he was gasping.

"What's happening?" He asked her.

"I want to feel something good."

"I'm not sure I'm the right person for that."

"I just feel that if I'm doing this maybe the little voice at the back of my head that tells me to shoot myself will stop."

"He's just a prick, don't let him affect you. I don't get it. You were doing fine."

"I'm involved in politics Nathan, pretending is my job."

"I can't give you that Haley."

"Why not? You don't have to worry I'm on the pill."

"O-kay?!"

"Is it because I'm not pretty enough?'' She asked almost crying, she was more emotional because of alcohol.

"Haley no! It's not that at all, look at you! You're beautiful, and it's not a word that I often use. It's just that...I'm so fucked up! I don't even know how to feel something good, it's like I have this huge whole in me where everything who could make me happy fall into it." He tried to explain.

"Just please! I need to think about something else, I thought that alcohol would help me, but it just make it worse! I just don't want to think about him, it hurts everywhere. I... I... I can't breathe...I can't breathe!" She started to panic.

Nathan moved forward cautiously towards her then he took her hand and kissed her wrist softly. He didn't know if he could do this but he thought that at least he should try. He calmed her down immediately.

"Come with me." He asked her as she followed his lead without questioning.

They came in a dressing room backstage and Nathan locked the door behind them.

"Please take the pain away." She urged him, unbuttoning his pants as he was stopping her.

"Haley, it's been a while since I've done this. I haven't been with another girl since my wife died. So if we're going to this, we'll have to go slow or we'll do nothing at all." He warned her as she nodded.

He looked into Haley's brown eyes, cupped her face in his hands and pressed his lips to hers. Then he pulled back as he caressed her cheeks tenderly. He took off her hair clip to let her hair down. She had long wavy blond hair that cascaded over her thin shoulders. He couldn't resist so he ran his fingers through it. He kissed her lips again, then her cheeks, her jaw, her neck, her earlobes. She began to breathe heavily. Without asking her he slipped his hand on the nape of her neck and he pulled her zipper down. He kissed her shoulder as he was pulling the straps down. Each kiss that he placed, Nathan became more comfortable to be intimate with her.  
>Haley found it to be surprising that Nathan took his time in what he was doing. It was new to her, she only had sex with Damien and it was the opposite. He finally took off her dress completely, leaving her in nothing but a lacy black strapless bra with matching panties. He looked on with awe and amazement with everything Haley possessed before he pulled her towards him to capture her lips once more. He picked her up and laid her gently on a sofa. He hovered over her and before he went any further, he locked eyes with Haley silently searching for any sign of hesitation.<br>She undid the buttons of his shirt to answer him and he pulled it off completely, throwing it to the floor revealing his strong arms and his perfect torso. She ran her hands up over his biceps, noticing a french sentence tattooed on his left arm. He trailed kisses down her neck to her chest to open the valley of her breast to her stomach.

He methodically took his time, which made Haley more eager. She was moaning in pleasure as he was massaging her breast. He took her nipple in his mouth and sucked it softly. Kneeling between her legs, he took her right foot and he started to kiss every inch of it, then he was going up higher on the inside of her thighs. Her center was aching with envy but he was determined to make it last. _When I'm done with you, you can move on and never think about him again. _He thought to himself not knowing that it was so much more complicated than that. Damien West damaged her for good.

He reached his hand inside her panties as she was biting down on her lower lip and her toes curled up. He gently inserted one finger inside of her causing her another gasp of pleasure.

"You're so tight." He whispered to her as he was started to move his finger in and out. With his thumb, he circled her clit, varying the pressure and the rhythm of his ministrations. Capturing her lips, he kissed her hungrily, their tongues were battling back and forth and Nathan broke the kiss to regain control as she was buckling her hips wildly. He could feel that she was close.

"Just let it go. Come for me." He said huskily. Haley couldn't hold it any longer. She screamed through her orgasm as he was holding her tight. He removed his finger softly and waited until her breathing calmed.

"I want you inside of me." She said naturally. It was quite unexpected for her, she was shy, normally she wouldn't have been comfortable enough to talk to him like that. She barely knew him after all. Thanks to alcohol she was totally out of her element.

Without answering her, he pulled off the rest of his clothes as she did the same with her underwear. They were both completely naked, he was hovered over her as they looked at each other for a few seconds, and just for one moment ephemeral became eternity. Haley finally closed her eyes as he was settling himself between her raised knees, his length was brushing against her wet curls.

"I want you to look at me."

Then Haley look into his dark blue eyes and slowly, he entered her, feeling her body stretch to accomodate him. Nathan wanted to make sure with every movement he made that Haley felt every bit of it. He pulled out and pushed in a little further than before, repeating until he was fully in her.

They began to move slowly, she couldn't help but let small moans of pleasure escape her before he was resting his forehead up against hers. She could feel his fresh menthol breath mixed with alcohol on her face as he was breathing heavily.

Picking up his pace, Nathan hid his face in the crook of Haley's neck. He couldn't hold out any longer, but he wanted Haley to come one more time before he did. He reached between their bodies and found her clit again, rubbing it gently. He heard her moaning his name.

"Fuck!" He screamed.

Nathan pressed his lips hard against her as he gave one final thrust that sent both of them to their climax. Breaking their kiss, he forced her to look at him in the eyes as her inner walls contracted against him. It took a few moments before they finally reached their calming point. Then he silently rolled over onto his back.

"Wow." She said staring the ceiling.

"Yeah my thought exactly."

They were still be lying naked side by side when Nathan turned his head to speak to her but she was already asleep.

He was looking at her and smiled. He was happy for a few minutes when suddenly he felt nauseous, and it wasn't because he was drunk, he was sickened by himself. _I can't stay here. _He stood up as he felt dizzy. He managed to take his clothes off of the floor and he tried to get dressed with difficulty. When he was finally done, he left Haley alone without waking her up.

* * *

><p>The following morning, when Nathan woke up there was nobody in the penthouse. He took his phone and dialed his sister's number.<p>

"Hello?" Brooke answered.

"Where are you? You supposed to wake me up to bring Gracie at the hospital."

"Good morning to you too, brother." She said sarcastically as he was sighing.

"It's important, she has a fucking CT-scan to do!" He yelled.

"Would you shut up? You were dead asleep, so I brought her, we're waiting at the hospital." Brooke calmed him down.

"I should be there, She must be afraid, she needs me."

"Relax! She's a big girl, plus I promised her that if she let me bring her instead of you, I'll do the advertising for the company with her."

"What?" He yelled again.

"She begged me the other day and I said that I'll think about it, and I decided that I should do it. It's gonna be fun!"

"I didn't expect this. I thought that you would say no."

"I'm sorry it's happening, I promised her."

"Fine! Keep me in the loop for the CT-scan." He said annoyed.

Then he served himself a drink of scotch, took a big gulp and put it down on the piano. He sat down and sighed as he began to play the first notes of the Moonlight Sonata by Beethoven. He was drowning in his thoughts and closed his eyes as he continued to play. He was so into the music that he didn't even hear the elevator door open.

Haley was in the Scott foyer as she was heading for the beautiful melody that she was listening. She was surprised to find Nathan at the piano She was mesmerized, it gave her goose-bumps. She silently stood there as he was playing the last notes. He took his glass and took another gulp.

"It's a little early for scotch, don't you think?" She said surprising him.

"I guess it's midday somewhere." He stated sardonically.

"Why did you leave without a trace like I was a filthy prostitute?" She asked him irritated.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to."

"But you did it anyway." She said putting her hands on her hips.

"I know and I told you that I was sorry."

He didn't know what else to say. But apparently she wanted to hear something else.

"I don't do this! I'm not the kind of girl who sleeps with a random guy and be okay with it. It's a big deal for me. And wake up alone and naked. I don't know this is not okay!" She started to raise her tone.

"I told you that I wasn't the right guy and you insisted!" He yelled as well.

"Because I was drunk and upset!"

"So now you're gonna tell me that I took advantage of you?" He said unbelievingly.

"No! It's just that I thought we were living an amazing moment and you blew it!"

"Oh pl-ease! You wouldn't have slept with me if he hadn't showed up in the first place!"

Nathan didn't want to be mean. It's just that he was conflicted and felt incredibly bad. To his mind, he had cheated on his wife. It wasn't Haley, he just couldn't stand himself at this point.

"I'm an idiot! I can't believe that I actually thought that you were a decent guy. I wish I had never met you." She was infuriated.

"You know what? Fuck you!"

"You already took care of that, remember."

"It's just sex, get over it!" He told her and it was kind of ironic for a guy who didn't have sex for at least 3 years. Obviously it was a big deal for him as well.

"You have no idea how much I hate you!"

"You didn't seem to hate me last night when you were screaming my name!" Nathan smirked.

"Go to hell!"

"Right back at you!"

They were nothing more to say, so Haley left without another word as they instantly regretted what they said to each other. But it was already too late. The damage was done.

* * *

><p><strong>This is the translation of the french sentences<strong>

*** Yeah I have learned to speak french.**

*** You cute when you're drunk.**

**Please leave a review I'll reply to you, I promise!**


	6. Chapter 5

**Hello everybody!** **You are seriously UNBELIEVABLE, like are you even real? It's really great to have so many people who read me and better send me reviews. I love you guys! When I read your feedbacks it's interesting because each one of you have his own opinion. Some of you even help me with the plot, even if you don't know. So please just keep going! I know I said this every single time I update a chapter.**

**Oh and I'm really sorry gor the wait, but I had some really important exams for med school, so I couldn't write.**

**Okay here's the chapter 6! You're gonna learn more about Damien and Haley but there is more, like a lot more!**

**Alright good reading! Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>It was the evening and Haley was in her room and left the song 'Fix you' by Coldplay on repeat for two days since she left the Scott's penthouse. She always listened to this song when she was depressed because it stuck perfectly with her state of mind. Haley had started to cry over her awful relationship with Damien, then she thought about her one night stand with Nathan and cried even more. In the end she cried about everything wrong on the planet, global warming, wars, world hunger... It was like she loved doing this to herself. She was the kind of girl who pretended to be okay but never was. The problem was that she didn't want help, she didn't want to be better, actually for unknown twisted reasons she was pleased with this. She was wrapped in her comforter when she heard someone knock at her door.<p>

"What?" Haley yelled as Lucas opened the door.

"Hales you know I love you right? But seriously if I have to listen this song one more time, I'm gonna strangle Chris Martin or kill myself. Either way one have to go." Lucas said as Haley stood up and headed for her hi-fi system.

"Happy?"

"Thank god!" Lucas and Haley heard Jake yelled downstairs.

"Alright Hales! What's wrong? You know eventually you'll have to come back to work." He asked her as he sat on the edge of her bed.

"I'm just tired, nothing important." She lied.

"So you cry for two days just because you're tired. You think I'm gonna buy it? Like seriously if you're gonna lie to me at least put some effort into it."

"Whatever, it's just Nathan, he said some awful things to me." Haley explained.

"You sure that's all? Because I thought that you were used to it."

"Yeah, like I said I'm tired and I wasn't in the mood to deal with him. I swear it's nothing, don't worry." She lied again.

"I can't believe this guy. What is his fucking problem?"

"I don't know Luke. He's just a jackass. They usually don't need any reasons to be like that."

"I guess. Speaking of which! Who is this Damien?"

"I was at Princeton with him" She simply replied.

"And he was your boyfriend?" Lucas continued to ask her questions as she nodded without saying a word.

"How is it possible that you never told me about him?"

"I don't know it didn't seem important."

"How long did you stay with this cunt?"

"Almost two years." Haley said nonchalantly.

''And you said it wasn't important.'' Lucas said frustrated because he knew that Haley was hiding something. He was about to ask another question when he heard the doorbell.

"Wait here! I'm gonna see who it is." Lucas informed her.

"As if I planned to get out of here anyway."

A couple of minutes later, Haley was about to fall asleep when she heard some shouts coming from downstairs. So she stood up, wore her slippers and she went down the stairs. When she arrived in the hallway she was very surprised to find Damien and Jake fighting while Lucas tried to separate them again.

"What are you doing here?" Haley yelled as they immediately stopped.

"Honey! I just wanted to talk to you." Damien said condescendingly.

"Don't honey me! Besides how did you find me?" Haley asked impatiently. The last thing she needed was to chit-chat with her ex-boyfriend.

"C'mon you're a celebrity now! I simply googled you. I missed you so much."

"How convenient!" Lucas said sharply.

"Okay guys, even if I like your company, I need to talk to Hales alone." Damien asked as he smirked.

"No fucking way!" Jake opposed.

"Jake it's okay." Haley reassured him.

"Like hell it is!" Jake shouted.

"You heard her Jagielski. Now leave us alone." Damien commanded.

Lucas and Jake looked at Haley one last time and she nodded to let them know that they could leave.

"Finally! You know your friends are fucking annoying."

"What do you want Damien?" She asked not paying attention to his rude remark.

"I don't have to give you any reason to come to see you. You're mine! Always have and always will."

"Dream on Damien! Maybe it worked before but I'm over you now, so whatever that you're up to, just forget it because I'm not interested." Haley tried to be very firm with him.

"I'd almost believe you. You know you can be very convincing when you want, except that you do this thing when you're lying, you probably don't notice it, but you nibble your lower lip, you just can't help it." Damien said as he was approaching her while Haley took a few steps back.

She wanted to deny his accusation but when she opened her mouth, she couldn't say a word and Damien chuckled.

"I knew it! You still care about me. Baby we were so great together, we will be again!"

"You got to be kidding me!"

"C'mon I've changed! Just give me another chance, I promise that I won't blow it."

"Why? Why should I give you another chance? Every time I did, I regretted it so why would it be different this time? I mean you screwed up big time!"

"Don't put this all on me! You're not exactly the innocent one either." Damien retaliated, tried to take advantage of the situation.

"If I remember right, you're the one who cheated on me!" She started to yell.

"Tecnically we weren't together anymore.'' He defended himself.

"I said that I needed some space, that's quite different! You know after the 'whole screwed up situation'!" She said as she was doing quotation marks with her fingers.

"Here we go again! For the fucking billionth time, I didn't force you! You went there on your own! I'm not responsible of this!"

"I tried to help you! You manipulated me and you know it!" Haley was infuriated.

"Is that what you tell yourself to sleep at night? That manipulated you?" He said waiting for an answer but it never came. "It was two fucking years ago Hales!"

"I know, but you have no idea how much it affected me, plus I did it for you and you cheated on me right after that. Because of you I'll never be able to love someone or be loved by someone and I hate you for it Damien!"

"Hate. Love. Pretty much the same things in the end." He said as he smirked.

Then he kissed her on the lips and he vanished. Upstairs when Jake and Lucas heard the front door they immediately went down the stairs to see if Haley was okay. But they were hardly downstairs that Haley went back in her room and she played the song again.

"Not this fucking song again! It has to end!" Lucas complained.

"Tell me about it! The problem is that I tried to talk to her but she told me nothing. I don't know maybe it would be easier if she speak with girls." Jake suggested.

"That's a good idea, you should call Peyton." Lucas said to Jake. He could tell to him that he'd call Brooke but Jake didn't know that he dated her.

* * *

><p>Grace was sitting on her dressing table as Nathan was brushing her hair while Peyton watched them as she stood in the doorway. When Grace's mother died, Nathan had to learn all this kind of girly stuff like brushing her hair and putting it up in a ponytail or a braid. At first he was really bad at it, but with practice he figured it out.<p>

"Alright! You brushed your teeth, I brushed your hair, now let's pick a book!" Nathan said to his daughter. Grace had about a hundred books but every evening she always choose the same one, the french version of 'The Little Prince'' by Antoine de Saint Exupéry. Grace was perfectly bilingual since Nathan enrolled her in the prestigious 'Lycée français de New York'. He thought that it was important for her to speak the language of her mother.

He had began the story and after a few minutes she was already falling asleep, so he closed the book, put it down on the bedside table and he kissed her forehead tenderly.

Then he left on his tip-toes with Peyton.

Peyton and Nathan were on the sofa watching 'Boy meets world' and eating their TV dinner.

"I've always dreamed of this!" Peyton broke the silence.

"Of what?"

"You know this kind of love story, Cory and Topanga, the whole 'soulmates' thing."

"We had this, until I fucked up everything." Nathan forced a laugh.

"I know, but it's probably for the best. We are too similar, it works as friends but as a couple it's just a disaster."

"We weren't so bad!" Nathan tried to persuade himself.

"You're kidding, right?" Peyton said as she was showing the scar that she had on her hand.

When Peyton and Nathan dated she had cuted her hand when she hit a mirror. She was infurriated because he treated her like crap one time too many.

"Yeah we were awful! I just try to forget it. I'm so sorry for all of this." Nathan apologized.

"It's okay. And you know what maybe you weren't a great boyfriend but you've always been there when it mattered, when my mom died, when I did drugs or when that fucking creep assaulted me even if the day before you had just learned that your child was sick. We shouldn't underestimate what we have, the bond that unites the three of us, we're very lucky."

"I know. It's rare."

Without speaking to each other they were continued to watch TV, when Nathan spoke again.

"Did you see Haley these days?"

Nathan had thought about her and his actions a lot the last couple of days.

"I was there yesterday to see Jake but I didn't see her because she was locked up in her room listening Coldplay over and over again. Jake is so p... wait a minute, what did you do to her?" Peyton asked.

"I made a mistake." He simply said.

"Uh oh! I don't like this. What do you mean 'you made a mistake'?" She quoted him.

"The costume evening party, after West showed up we were both drunk... and she was very upset... and I don't know we kinda slept together."

''Kinda slept together? What does that even mean?"

"Do you want me to show you?" He teased her trying to take the drama out of this messed up situation.

"I can't believe you slept with her."

"Yeah I know I'm a fucking idiot!" Nathan was angry with himself.

''Not necessarily. Maybe it's a good thing. She's a nice girl you're a nice guy, you'd be perfect for each other." She was enthusiastic.

"There is more, when we finished she fell asleep and I totally freaked out, I felt terrible and I couldn't breathe, so I left without saying goodbye."

"Wow! I take back what I said, you're not a nice guy. What the fuck is wrong with you!" She yelled as she hit his shoulder.

"Ouch!"

"You deserve it you fucking moron!"

"I know but it was just too much, it was like I cheated on her!" Nathan explained.

"Nate!" She said tenderly. "You have to move on, she's gone. You're far too young to live like this. Besides, Victoire was a friend and I know that she wouldn't like this."

"But I just can't. Since she's gone it's like I don't belong here... every morning I wake up and I try my best to be here, I mean to be really here, but I'm not! She was my home and now I feel homesick for a place that doesn't exist anymore, it fucking hurts!"

"Maybe Haley will be your new home, you never know. But you have to let her in to find out." She said as Nathan nodded.

Peyton was about to say something else when her cell phone rang.

"Excuse me. Hello?... Yeah I'm fine... What?... I'm kinda busy right now... Okay, okay, I'm on my way." Peyton hung up her phone and she stood up. "I'm sorry I have to go."

"Go! I'm tired anyway, I'm gonna go to bed."

"You sure you're okay?"

"Don't worry about me. Go! Oh and please don't tell anyone about this especially to my sister." He asked her and she nodded to answer him.

She kissed his cheek and tapped his shoulder then she left.

* * *

><p>Peyton rang the doorbell and Jake opened the door immediately. She took the time to kiss him for a long time before speaking.<p>

"Okay what's the emergency?"

"Do you hear that?" Jake said as he pointed his finger at upstairs.

"Coldplay! I see. She didn't get out of her room, didn't she?"

"Oh she did! But it was to speak with the other jackass and let's say that it didn't fix anything."

"Who do you talking about?" Peyton asked.

"Damien motherfucking West. That's who."

"Damien West was here? Oh my god! If he shows up again don't let him come in, he's the worst human being that I ever know! I swear if I had a gun with two bullets, and I was in a room, with Hitler, Bin Laden and Damien West, I would shoot Damien West twice."

"Except that Hitler and Bin Laden are already dead, but I totally get it! I used to play football with him. I hate that guy. Anyway can you please talk to her? I figured that it would be easier for her to talk with a girl you know, please use your magic girl power, because otherwise I'm gonna kill myself!"

"Alright, I'll see what I can do." She kissed him again. "What's her favorite ice cream flavor?"

"Mint chocolate chip."

"Okay go buy it! Now!"

"You're an angel! Thank you."

"You're welcome, but I need some back up, I'm gonna call Brooke. She's a Damien West victim too." She said laughing.

She called Brooke as she headed for the kitchen and took every junk food that she could find. Then she went upstairs and she waited behind Haley's door.

"Haley it's Peyton can I come in?"

Haley didn't answer so she decided to come in anyway.

"Hey! I love that song, it's a really good song... with good music... good lyrics... and all..." Because Haley didn't say a word Peyton talked about the song just for the sake of saying something.

_For the love of God Brooke what the fuck are you doing? _Peyton thought to herself.

Peyton could handle Nathan easily but as far as Haley was concerned, it was another story.

"Here." Peyton said as she threw her a bar of chocolate as Haley immediately took and ate it.

Peyton didn't know how to start the conversation because Haley seemed to be so sad, she was afraid to make it worse. She was about to speak when Haley finally opened her mouth.

"Why do I always choose the bad guys?" She said as she was sobbing.

"Because it's the oldest love story in the world, the good girl who fell for the bad guy. We want to change them, but unfortunately Damien West can't change, trust me!" Peyton replied to her.

"Yeah and he's not the only one!"

"What do you mean?" Peyton pretended that she didn't know about her and Nathan.

"I trusted someone and seriously I really don't know why because he's just a creep!"

"What happened?"

"I probably shouldn't talk about this with you, I'm sorry."

"Why? No, tell me!" Peyton insisted.

"Even if the creep is Nathan?"

"Nathan was my boyfriend all through high school and it was pretty chaotic, so I think I'm the only one who can understand you." Peyton confessed as she was laughing.

"He's hopeless, he isn't even better than Damien!" Haley said angrily.

"Okay! I know you're upset right now, and I know that Nate is a jackass sometimes, but really he's an amazing guy, he's just really bad at expressing his feelings sometimes." Peyton defended her best friend.

"I slept with him! And he left me alone without saying goodbye! What kind of man does that?" Haley shouted.

"And he feels terrible about it!"

"Oh my god! You knew?"

"He tells me everything." She paused. "He feels guilty because of his wife. He thinks that he cheated on her." Peyton finally said.

Haley was speechless when they heard the front door.

"Okay I'm gonna see if it's Brooke. We can talk about this later."

Peyton was going down the stairs when she saw Brooke and Lucas making out hungrily.

"Well, well!"

Brooke gasped as she pushed Lucas away from her. Lucas ran his fingers through his hair, trying not to make eye contact with Peyton. The two didn't expect to be caught so soon.

* * *

><p><strong>Next chapter :<strong>

**Peyton's reaction about Lucas and Brooke.**

**Grace's birthday! Everyone's gonna be here so you can hope for some Naley's interaction.**

**See you soon.**

**Please review.**


	7. Chapter 6

**Hello you! I'm sorry it's been a while I took a little break mostly because my exams was finally over and also because I was kinda stuck in the plot, the ideas didn't want to came. But I'm back and for good! I'm gonna update more often, I have plenty of time now because it's summer.**

**There is lots of Brucas in this chapter, more than usual even when they didn't interact, the characters talk about them, so I'm sorry for those who don't like them, who am I kidding, I'm not even sorry Brucas are flawless! But don't worry it's still a Naley malor story, there's even a surprise at the end.**

**Alright I'm done for now. Good reading to everyone, hope you're still reading me! Good reading ;)**

* * *

><p>"It's not what you think!" Brooke tried to explain herself while Lucas tried shifting himself on the couch.<p>

"Let me guess… Hotshot had some dirt on his tongue and you decided to clean it up!" Peyton said as she laughing.

"Hotshot?" Lucas was a little vexed by his new nickname.

"I can't believe you didn't tell me!" Peyton spoke to Brooke without paying attention to Lucas.

"I'm sorry Peyt but Nate can't know about this. He'd totally freak out!"

"So? I still don't see why you told me nothing."

"Excuse me, but Hotshot?" Lucas continued to speak aloud to no one.

"I didn't want to force you to lie to my brother, that's all!"

"So now you're concerned about me lying to Nate? Seriously?"

"I really don't understand, her fucking cocky ass brother is 'little Natie' and I'm 'hotshot'? Are you for real?"

"Oh shut up!" The girls yelled in unison.

"Unbelievable!" Lucas threw the hands up in the air and decided to leave them alone.

"As if you tell me everything! You think that I don't know that you have secrets with Nate! Since we were kids you two always excluded me." Brooke complained

"You are CRA-ZY!" Peyton shouted.

"Don't tell me that I'm crazy, be honest for once! You and Nate always kept me apart from everything with your emo trip you think that I can't understand you!"

"Oh my God! Come on! This is nonsense, I can't talk to you when you're like this! But still, even if you are a crazy bitch I love you and I'm happy for you." Peyton replied, lowering her voice and calming down.

"Thank you I guess. I really like him." Brooke confessed.

"You know you'll have to tell this to Nate one way or another, right?" Peyton said as Brooke nodded with anxiety.

"So, I want to know everything!" Peyton exclaimed as she sat next to her best friend. Seeing Brooke's grin, Peyton decided otherwise. ''Gross! Ew! Not everything, everything!"

"Is it just me or it's at least the 10th time this song is played since I'm here?" Brooke noticed as she looked at the ceiling.

"Tell me about it! It's a Damien West situation so..."

"Good Lord! What did the twisted little bastard do this time?"

"I don't know, but it's fucking bad! What did you bring?" Peyton asked as she noticed Brooke's shopping bag.

"Chick flicks and vodka."

"Good! Jake's bringing ice cream. We'll talk about you and Lucas later."

Brooke nodded as they both headed up the stairs to Haley's room.

* * *

><p>Nathan was half asleep on the sofa. The TV was still on when the intercom woke him up for good. He looked at his watch and walked towards the foyer. <em>Who the fuck is this?<em>

"Hi George! What's going on?" Nathan spoke in the intercom.

"Good evening Sir. Mr. West requests to speak to you." The doorman said.

Nathan sighed. The last thing he wanted was to chit-chat with Damien West.

"Alright he can come up. Thanks George."

One minute later Damien was in front of him.

"It's been a while since the last time I was here."

"What do you want?" Nathan got impatient.

"I'm just here to warn you!" He said with a very serious face.

"About what?" Nathan asked as he smirked.

"Don't touch her!" Damien went straight to the point as Nathan laughed out loud.

''I'm sorry." Nathan paused. "You're actually serious.'' He went back into a seious mode.

"I'm dead serious Scott! Stay away from her or your life's gonna be a freaking nightmare!" Damien threatened Nathan.

"So let me get this straight, you come here at my place and you threaten me. You must be pretty desperate." Nathan mocked him.

"She's fucking mine! Don't even bother, you can't compete!"

"You know what's funny, just before you came a friend of mine tell me that I should try to date her and that it was time for me to move on and I allowed myself think about it for a couple of minutes and I immediately stopped, because you know Haley is such an amazing girl. She's so bright and beautiful she can pick literally anyone so why would she want to settle with a single father who had too much history? I thought that I didn't have any chance with her, that she wasn't interested in me. But now that you're here threatening me, I think I'm gonna take a shot. Thank you for showing me that I had an actual chance with her, without you I wouldn't have even bothered."

"In that case, maybe I should try again with Brooke. After all, your sister is the best fuck that I ever had, she is so...mmh..." Damien provoked Nathan.

"You want a black eye to suit with the other one?"

"Does it mean that you don't approve? And yet your old man wanted us to be together." Damien said as he was laughing.

"Yeah but he's six feet under the ground now, so his opinion is irrelevant."

"Maybe we should ask Brooke, I bet she wants me."

"Dream on dumbass!" Nathan said quizically. "Now if you don't mind, I'm bored, so get the fuck out of here!"

Damien chuckled and he headed for the elevator without saying a word.

* * *

><p>"I can't believe you knew!" Peyton said about Haley.<p>

"I was just their cover." Haley replied.

The atmosphere was a little more cheerful since Brooke was there. She was the kind of girl who made everything brighter. Since she arrived Haley had stopped the music and they had watched 'She's The Man' with Channing Tatum and Amanda Bynes.

"Do you really like him? Or is it just a fling?" Peyton asked to Brooke.

"I don't know yet. I mean I like him, he's funny, smart and really good looking but I don't know if he likes me."

"He never was with a girl for more than a week you know? So it's obvious that he really likes you." Haley reassured her.

"Really?"

"I swear he talks about you all day long, it really gets on my nerves!" Haley said bored.

"Oh my god! Oh my god! Oh my god!" Brooke shouted as she was jumping like a little girl. "What did he say?" She immediately asked.

"He said that you're amazing and that it's natural with you and also that he didn't notice the time go by when he was with you."

"I'm happy with him, everything is nice except that Nate doesn't know about it, and when he finds out..."

"Maybe he'll take it well, you never know!" Peyton interrupted her.

"Yeah, maybe he's gonna make an effort and try to get along with him." Haley added.

"How much crack did you smoke? He's gonna rip our throats out!"

"Probably!" Peyton said as she was laughing.

"This is not funny! Sometimes I hate my brother, he treats me like a child." Brooke complained.

"He just wants to protect you. To be fair your history with men isn't reassuring." Peyton reminded her.

"Like my relationship with Damien for example. That was a big mess." Brooke thought. "I'm sorry! I didn't want to..." She realized that she had probably hurt Haley's feelings.

"That's okay, it's not like I still was with him."

"Anyway you don't have to be ashamed in front of us. You can talk, I've already been there." Brooke said compassionately. "So how long did you stay with him?" She asked Haley.

"About 2 years."

"2 years straight? Damn girl! You're a tough one. I never thought someone could stand him that long." Brooke joked.

"Yeah I'm the idiot who was stuck with Damien West for 2 years and was really in love with him when he clearly wasn't."

"No no no! Don't do this okay? He's the one who has issues. You're not an idiot, he's a manipulative asshole!" Peyton said, trying to reassure Haley.

"Why did you break up with him?" Brooke asked Haley.

"I think it's obvious, Haley is far too good for him!" Peyton replied instead.

"I'm sick of speaking of Damien West."

"Fine by me! Let's talk about you and my brother instead!"

"Brooke!" Peyton warned her.

"There isn't a Nathan and I, Brooke."

"Really? Because I think you'd be perfect together."

Haley and Peyton look at each other knowing the situation, but neither of them could tell Brooke what really happened.

* * *

><p>Brooke was at work and she was going to leave to get Grace at school when her boss came in her office.<p>

"What are you waiting for? I have to choose a theme for the next month and you have my notes so I need you for the meeting." Brooke's boss said edgily.

"Now?"

"Of course now. You have ten minutes to get ready." She said strictly.

"I'm sorry my niece waiting for me at school." Brooke explained.

"I'm sorry, do I look like I care? You have ten minutes, otherwise you are fired."

As soon as her boss left her office, Brooke pounced on her phone and dialed Nathan's number.

"Come on Nate pick up you phone... Please... Hey! Thank God! Can you please get Gracie today? I'm stuck at work."

"I can't. I'm in L.A. for business, I told you yesterday evening."

"What I'm gonna do? If I go the bitch's gonna fire me."

"I'm really sorry sis', I don't know what to say."

"I suppose that Peyton and Clay are with you."

"Yeah they're right here. I don't know try with Kelly maybe. I'm sorry I got to go, keep me posted okay?"

"Yeah don't worry. See you later!" Brooke hung up the phone.

"FUCK!" She yelled as she was flung a stapler through the office.

Unfortunately Brooke knew that the babysitter couldn't pick up Grace at school because she was in Vancouver with her family for the rest of the week. She took her phone again and she dialed Haley's number but she didn't answer. Then she decided to call Lucas. She knew that her brother wouldn't be okay with that but she couldn't lose her job, she'll deal with Nathan later.

"Hey! I really really need you!"

"I already knew that Pretty girl! You didn't have to call me just to tell me this." Lucas joked.

"Can you just be serious and listen to me? I have an emergency." Brooke took a very serious tone.

"I think I can do that." Lucas said realizing that it must important.

"I need you to get my niece at school."

"I don't think it's a good idea. I really love my life and if your brother knows about it, he's gonna rip my head out, literally."

"I have no choice, I'm gonna lose my job, I'm stuck. Please! I owe you one." She begged him.

"Okay, okay! Give me the address." Lucas gave up.

"She's at the Lycée Français, it's at 505 East on the 75th. You're the best, I love you!"

The three words came out before she realized it. She didn't mean to say it yet but it was too late.

"It's nothing. We'll wait for you at my place okay?" Lucas didn't react.

"Actually, she has her appointment with Julian so is it okay if you stay at my place instead?" She said a little disappointed.

"Sure."

"I'm gonna inform the school. See you later and thank you again." Then she hung up the phone.

She gathered her notes together for the meeting as she thought about what she had just said. More importantly, she wondered why Lucas didn't say it back.

* * *

><p>It was 7 pm and Brooke wasn't here yet. Grace's session was over and they were watching Mary Poppins. The movie was ending and Lucas looked at his watch.<p>

"You are so cool! My dad never let me watch TV during the week." Grace said enthusiastically.

_Well done Lucas, as if her dad wasn't mad enough at you. _Lucas thought to himself.

"Okay, I guess it's time for you to eat. Let's see what we have."

"Okay. So are you a friend of my dad?" The little girl asked to Lucas.

"Actually the term 'friend' isn't the term that define us the best." Lucas hesitated.

"He hates you, doesn't he?"

"Let's say that he's not my biggest fan." Lucas confessed as he was looking in the fridge.

"So you're a friend of my auntie Brooke." Grace deducted.

"Yeah I'm friend with your auntie Brooke."

"Of course that's why my daddy hates you, he never likes my aunt's friends." She said as he was smiling. "You really really like her, don't you?"

"She's a very special girl." He simply replied.

"What if I make you some spaghetti bolognese." Lucas said as he saw minced-meat.

"I'm sorry I'm a vegetarian."

"Okay so you don't eat meat or fish? But you eat eggs, don't you? You're not one of this vegan people, are you?" Lucas asked a little embarrassed.

"Yes I can eat eggs."

"Cheese omelette with green beans, is it good?"

"Per-fect!"

"I have a little sister, Lily, she's not much older than you." Lucas started to tell as he was cooking.

"Where is she?"

"She's in Tree Hill in North Carolina with my mom and my dad."

"You are lucky, I'd love to have a little sister or a little brother." She said sadly.

"Maybe one day, you never know... I have an idea, I heard that it was your birthday in 2 days so when you'll be in front of your birthday cake and before to blow the candles, close your eyes and make a wish."

"It won't work!"

"Why not? It worked for me." He said as he winked and she smiled at him.

They heard the elevator doors open. A few seconds later Brooke met them in the kitchen as Grace jumped into Brooke's arms.

"Oh I really missed you too sweetie." Brooke said as she was hugging her niece. "How was your day? And Lucas was he nice to you?"

"Of course I was nice with her, we had plenty of fun, didn't we?" Lucas replied before Grace.

"I don't know why daddy doesn't like him. He's so cool!" She said as Brooke was laughing. "Plus I think he's really cute." Grace added whispering in Brooke's ear.

"You two are very secretive." Lucas complained as he was finishing Grace's omlette.

"It's a girl thing."

"Dinner is ready!" Lucas said as he was arranging the plates on the table.

"That smells pretty good!" Brooke complimented.

"It tastes better." Lucas boasted.

"Oh my god it's delicious!" Brooke delighted.

"It's sure that it's better than yours auntie B."

"You ungrateful little brat!" Brooke joked as she was staring wide-eyed.

They continued to enjoy the dinner and they talked about everything and nothing. Then Brooke put Grace to bed and she asked her to pick a book, she wanted to choose The Little prince like she used to do but Brooke reminded her that she didn't speak french so Grace picked The Princess and the pea instead. Brooke was in the middle of the story and Grace was already asleep so she closed the book and she switched off the light but when she was about to leave, her niece spoke half asleep.

"I would like that Lucas comes to my birthday party."

"I'll see what can I do about it. Sweet dreams Gracie!" Brooke whispered as she was kissing Grace's cheek.

Brooke went down the stairs and she headed for the kitchen. She found Lucas doing the dishes.

"We have a very handy thing, it's called a dishwasher!" She said as she caught a dish towel.

"I'm used to it."

"You're very good with kids, it's very sexy you know?"

"Mmh! You think?" He moaned as he approached her.

"Don't you dare put your wet dirty hands on my brand-new Givenchy dress!" She warned him.

"But you're so irresistible!"

Brooke took a few steps back until she was against the wall while Lucas moved forward. He put some foam on her nose and grabbed her by the waist.

"You're fucking beautiful!"

He was going to kiss her when he heard someone in the foyer.

"Is anybody there? Brooke?"

Lucas and Brooke immediately recognized Nathan's voice.

"Great!" Lucas said sarcastically.

Nathan walked towards the kitchen.

"What the fuck is he doing here?" Nathan said angrily.

"I got to go!" Lucas said as he was leaving.

"Calm down! He just picked up Gracie from school."

"He what?!"

"I couldn't lose my job, I'm sorry."

"Brooke I don't even know him for fucks sake!" Nathan yelled.

"Yeah like you said you don't know him so give him a break!"

"I can't believe that you entrust my daughter to him!"

"I was stuck and he was available! Kelly is in Vancouver and I even called Haley but she didn't answer her phone. I didn't have a choice!"

"Yeah whatever!" Nathan rolled his eyes.

"Screw you Nathan! Seriously it's my job and if you don't understand that it matters to me... I don't know what to say."

"It's not the problem Brooke! Grace is sick, okay! She's fragile, we can't entrust her to anybody! She's all I've got!"

"I know." She calmed down. "I know and I'm sorry. But I trust him otherwise I'd never have called him."

"Alright. It's okay. I can't ask you to sacrifice your career, that's not fair. I'm sorry, I overreacted." Nathan calmed down as well.

Brooke sighed as she threw the dish towel on the counter. She walked past Nathan to check on Grace, just to make sure she didn't wake up to the screaming. Nathan would have to learn to trust Lucas if Brooke kept being involved with him. Grace wanted him at her party after all.

* * *

><p>It was Saturday evening and the Scott's penthouse was crowded. Grace and her friends were playing tag while the adults were chatting.<p>

Nathan was in the parking lot. He took the gift-wrapped parcel out of his trunk. He ran towards the elevator when he saw that the doors were going to close. He put his arm between the doors and they automatically opened. In front of him, she was there, prettier than usual. They stared at each other for a few seconds and he finally came in. They were standing side by side without saying a word.

"You're gonna press the button or what?" Haley broke the silence.

"Oh! Yeah!" He said as he pressed the button. "I didn't know you would come!"

"I can leave if you want."

"No! No I'm glad you're here."

"Well Grace is a great kid I couldn't miss her birthday."

"You're beautiful!"

"Stop it!" Haley said as she turned her head.

"I'm sorry!"

"For what?" Haley said edgily.

"For everything. Haley I'm an idiot. It's just that I'm scared, and I think that if I'm so scared it's because... you know I think it's because... you know you're so... I like you Haley!" He finally said as he heard a weird noise. "Is it a good sign?"

"What was it?" Haley worried.

"I don't know."

Nathan pressed all the buttons but nothing worked, the elevator was stuck.

"Oh great." Nathan and Haley said in unison.

* * *

><p><strong>Next :<strong>

**Haley's reaction**

**The rest of the birthday party**

**Brooke'll confront Lucas**

**Please leave a review, it's free and it don't take a long time.**

**Plus I really need it. Thanks a lot.**


	8. Chapter 7

**Hello my lovely readers! For the american people happy 4****th**** of July!**

**Like every time i'm going to thank you. Really I love to read your feedbacks, it's huge part of my week. Some of you are really excited for Naley and Brucas new development and I can't blame you. The others are really worried about them, well I can't promise that everything's gonna be okay at leat for now, but I like fairytales and I can promise you that one way or another every pairings' gonna have his happy ending no matter what trials they will go through. And there is a tiny part of you who are rooting for Pathan and I'm sorry to tell you that it's not gonna happen Peyton and Nathan are only friends in my story even if they're bond is really strong.**

**Okay I'm done with my rambling. Hope you're gonna like this one.**

**Good reading!**

* * *

><p>"No, no, no, no, no, no! We can't be stuck!" Haley groaned.<p>

"Relax! There's an alarm button, someone's gonna come to help us." He said as he was pressing the button while Haley was trying to call someone with her cell phone.

"It's not gonna work, there's no signal here."

"This is not happening!"

"I said that someone's gonna come. So can you please calm down?"

"I don't think so, it's Saturday evening. Oh my god we're gonna die suffocating!"

"Nobody's gonna die! Even if the alarm button doesn't work I told Brooke that I was taking Gracie's gift to my trunk. Hopefully she'll notice that I'm still outside."

"Yeah hopefully." She said as she was sighing.

"It's nice to you to bring a gift for Gracie." Nathan said to keep the conversation going.

"It's not a lot." Haley said modestly.

"Still."

They were both sitting on the ground while an awkward silence settled in. After a few minutes Haley broke the silence.

"It's really cold today." She randomly said.

"Are we really gonna do this?"

"What?" She didn't understand.

"This! Pretend that I didn't say what I said!"

"What do you want me to do Nathan?"

"I don't want you to do or to say anything Haley. I told you that I like you because I mean it and I'm finally okay with it. I was so surrounded by sorrow that I couldn't appreciate it, you know this little feeling, this thing in your stomach. So I just wanted to let you know. I'm ready. I'm not gonna avoid this, I'm gonna take everything that I can and live it. I want to love again, to feel something bigger than everything, and it's all because of you Haley." Nathan said as he was looking right into her eyes.

"You can't tell me this." Haley said as she still was looking at his dark blue eyes, tears welling up in spoke to her like this before.

"Why not?"

"Because I might believe you."

Nathan took a few steps towards her, he gently pushed aside a few locks of her hair and cupped her face into his strong hands. They looked into each other eyes for what seems an eternity. She wanted to believe him more than anything. She wanted to love again too.

"Nathan..." She whispered.

He didn't let her finish her sentence, he kissed her with all he had. She slowly closed her eyes as he tasted her strawberries lips.

"God! I never want to stop doing this." He said as he pressed his lips against hers

After their make out session, Haley put her head against his shoulder as Nathan was stroking her hand. They were smiling blissfully, excited by this whole new situation. It was a promise that it's gonna be better, much better.

"We should do this according to the rule book. I want to take you somewhere." Nathan said.

"Like a date?"

"What do you think?"

"I don't even know how to do this anymore." Haley confessed.

"I had only one date I was barely 19 and it was disaster, but an awesome disaster." He said as he was thinking about it.

"You had only one date?" Haley asked as she was laughing.

"Actually yes, you know I had a bunch of girls but it was just for you know..." He said a little embarrassed.

"Oh."

"Then I was with Peyton for a while but we never had a proper date because we knew each other forever, so it didn't seem necessary."

"Why it didn't work with Peyton? You two are very close." She asked.

"I was a jerk and she was pretty amazing plus I was afraid to commit, so I guess I screwed up on purpose."

"Luckily she forgave you and you're still friends."

"It's because we aren't friends, we're family. She didn't have a choice, she's stuck with us." Nathan explained as they were laughing.

"And after Peyton?" Haley wanted to know the rest.

"I moved to New Haven and I fall right back into my womanizer way until I met Victoire."

"You don't have to speak about her if you don't want to."

"No I want to. I want to be more open, I don't want to hide anything from you."

"She seemed to be an amazing girl."

"Yeah and totally out of my league, quite like you."

"Maybe you're not that bad Nathan Scott."

"Yeah maybe, I mean I seem to catch some wonderful women, not that bad for a jerk." He joked as she was laughing out loud.

"Tell me about her."

"The first time I saw her she was wearing worn jeans with a sweat shirt that she must have borrowed from her brother and some sneakers full of holes, but she was still stunning and graceful. It always amazed me how she wasn't aware of it. She liked to make funny faces and make me laugh… actually she was hilarious. She was truly kind, warm, fair and innocent, she hadn't grown up yet, she wasn't immature though, it's just that she still saw the world with the child's eye. She was also fiercely determined and passionate. Ballet was her whole life, she put her heart into it and only beautiful things could grow where Victoire Dubois put her heart, she was the best. Everybody loved her and I was the lucky bastard who hit the jackpot." He described her.

Haley understood why Nathan was so devastated, Victoire wasn't only the woman that he married, she was the love of his life. Haley was suddenly insecure, she wasn't sure that she'd be enough. But she decided to keep her fear for herself and enjoy the moment.

"So tell me how the date went." She asked.

"It was a complete disaster, I don't want to scare you away." He said as he laughing.

"Now I'm curious."

"Maybe for another time."

Nate ran his fingers through Haley's hair and he kissed her forehead. Then he held her. He didn't have any doubts anymore. He knew that he made the right decision because it felt so good to be with her.

"You and West, why did you break up? Even though I have my idea on the topic." Nathan asked.

"Nothing original, he just cheated on me." She said a little embarrassed.

"How typical! I hate this guy, he's a twisted psychotic fucking creep! And that's all he did to you? Because trust me he could had done much worse."

"Yeah that's all." She lied into his face forcing a smile.

"So since when do you play piano?" She immediately changed of subject.

"I don't know, I can't picture a time when I didn't."

"You have a gift you know? When you're playing, it's like everything is stopping. I thought that a guy like you would have got into a school like Julliard or something like that."

"My father didn't want to. It wasn't in his plans, I've been raised as the heir of the Scott group. Piano was just a distraction for him. He always said to me that one day I'll run the company, that all of this will be mine. The funny part is that I never wanted this."

"Quit!"

"I can't!"

"Why not? If you weren't the Scott group CEO what would like to do?"

"This is ridiculous." He said not taking her seriously.

"Just think about it. What would it be?" She insisted.

"... Maybe teaching piano... or I don't know... maybe own a bookshop or an art gallery in Paris."

"You should do something you love."

"What about you? Don't tell me that you really love politics. I can't believe I'm going to date a politician, especially a republican." He said as he was laughing.

"And I can't believe I'm gonna date... you. So get over it!"

"Ouch!"

"Sorry bad habits."

* * *

><p>"Lucas and Brooke, huh? I can't believe he didn't tell me." Jake whispered to Peyton.<p>

"I know right?" She whispered too. _And you didn't hear about Nathan and Haley who totally had sex. _Peyton thought to herself.

They were trying to not disturb the kids who were enjoying the puppet show. Before that there were a make up session for the children, they were thrilled!

"Please tell me that I won't have to kick his ass?" Peyton asked to Jake.

"Well I'm not gonna lie, Luke never stayed more than a week with a girl but give him a chance, maybe it was because he didn't find the one."

"I hope so otherwise he'll need a nose job."

"My girl is a badass!" He said before he kissed her.

"Ew!" Grace said as she was staring at them.

"Trust me you're gonna like it in a few years." Peyton said.

"No, boys are gross!" She said as Peyton and Jake bursted into laughter.

"Good girl! If your dad could hear you he'd be so proud!" Peyton said.

"I know it's him who told me this." The little girl confessed.

"Princess, you know your daddy is a boy, don't you?" Jake said.

"Daddy is not a boy, he's my daddy! Now if you don't mind, I'm going to enjoy my puppet show." Grace said with a smile before running off.

"Don't bother, her father is Nathan Scott, she's a lost cause, poor girl!" Peyton joked.

"Speaking of which where the hell is he?" She asked as she was scanning the room.

"I have no idea. I saw him with Brooke a while ago."

"Brooke is in the kitchen he must be with her."

"That's weird Haley isn't arrived yet."

"I didn't know that she was coming."

"Yeah she told me this morning. I even gave her some money to buy my gift for Grace, you know I was busy at the studio with the new band that I show you last week."

"Oh I like them, I like their energy."

"I know but the problem is that they can't get along! They always fight, we've needed a week just to record one fucking song… it's not gonna work." His voice grew louder.

"Shhhh!" A little boy complained.

"Sorry."

They stopped talking for a few minutes and watched the show until Jake spoke again.

"Oh! I almost forgot. My parents want to meet you. They invited us for Thanksgiving."

"In San Francisco?" She asked very surprised.

"Yeah, they're so excited."

"Wow! That's a huge step."

"You're freaking out!"

"Shhh!" The little boy complained again.

"No! No it's just... I'm surprised." Peyton said lowering her voice, then she dragged him by the arm in the foyer.

"I'd understand if you don't want to come. But it's just that I can't stop talking about you, it's like they know you and I swear they already love you and so do I."

"What?"

"I know it sounds crazy because we're together only for two months but I love you." Jake confessed.

Peyton was speechless, it really came out of nowhere. She couldn't believe that he loved her. She hesitated for a few seconds before answering him.

"I... I love you too." She replied with a smile.

Resolute and decided, he took her by the waist and kissed her hungrily.

"Does it mean that you're in?" He asked her after he pulled out.

"Yeah I'm in. I want to meet your parents for thanksgiving."

They were kissing again when they heard Nathan and Haley's voices in the elevator.

* * *

><p>In the kitchen, Brooke was looking for the candles everywhere to put them on the huge cake that Nathan ordered, but apparently she couldn't get her hands on them. Lucas was looking at her amused while she was opening every single drawers and cupboard one after the other as she gave cries of rage.<p>

"You think it's funny?" She asked edgily.

"No... not at all." He said as he was trying to hold a laugh.

"Stop laughing!" She commanded.

"You're cute when you're angry."

"I'm not angry!" She snapped.

"Is this what you're looking for?" Lucas asked as he was showing her the candles.

"You knew where they are all this time! You're a cunt!" She shouted before she took the candles and hit his arm.

"Ouch! Are you out of your fucking mind? What's the matter with you these last couple days?"

''Nothing besides the fact that you're very annoying!"

"I'm lost. What did I do?" He asked.

"You really don't know, do you?"

"Would you care to enlighten me, please?"

"Really? You don't have a clue?" She paused waiting for an answer. "I can't believe this... When I called you Friday?... I said something?..."

"You said a lot of things."

"Yeah but I said something really big..."

"Brooke obviously I don't remember, so can you please spit it out? We don't have a lot of time." Lucas told her impatiently.

"...I said the three words."

"Oh!"

"Yeah."

"It's not big deal! I already know that you need me, you know someday you'll return the favor. It's what we do, you know between friends." He apparently misunderstood her.

"... Hell yes buddy!" She said as she forced a smile.

"You know I really like to spend some time with you. You're a pretty cool girl. I like the way it is, it's not complicated, we have fun... No strings attached!" He said very satisfied.

"Yeah... Let's keep it casual!"

Brooke put the candles on top of the cake silently. She was utterly crushed. She couldn't believe that she fell for a guy again and that he didn't love her back. Her brother was right after all.

* * *

><p>"Favorite movie?" Haley asked.<p>

"Casablanca, I really deplore that we don't have the 'Humphrey Bogart type' of actor anymore."

"You?"

"I'm gonna say Dirty Dancing." Haley replied.

"Seriously? There are like a million movies and you go with Dirty Dancing?" He mocked her.

"What?"

"Oh come on! This is so cliché the perfect daddy's girl who fall for the bad boy. How innovative!"

"I know but I love the sexual tension."

"I see, you're one of these chick who drool over Patrick Swayze." He said amused.

"I'm not gonna lie, he was hot but you're hotter." She flirted with him.

"Oh yeah I know!" He smirked before to kiss her.

"You're the cockiest man that I know, and that comes from Lucas' best friend."

"I'm not cocky, I'm realistic. I just can't help the fact that when I looking at the mirror all I see is very attractive." He boasted.

"Why did I say this? As if your ego wasn't big enough."

"Did you hear that?"

"What?"

"Peyton! Peyton!" Nathan shouted as Haley helped him.

"Help! We're stuck!"

A few seconds later Nathan and Haley were in the foyer in front of Jake and Peyton.

"Where were you?" Peyton asked.

"Hello! I said we were stuck in here." Nathan replied.

"Hey Nathan! Haley did you bring the gift?" Jake said.

"Of course!" Haley replied while she was heading for the living room.

"Okay it's time for my princess to blow the candles." Nathan said as he was going to follow Haley.

"Wait a minute! Both of you!" Peyton stopped them.

"What?"

"You two were in the elevator alone with each other and I didn't even hear any complaints?" Peyton noticed.

Haley and Nathan looked at each other as they were smiling.

"Shut up!" Peyton immediately understood.

"What?" Jake didn't.

"No fucking way!" Peyton said as Nathan nodded proudly.

"I'm lost."

"Jake... Nathan and I... are going on a date."

"You must be joking!" Lucas said as he came in the foyer.

"Listen dude, I understand that you don't like me and I really can't blame you because, well, I'm not a big fan of you, but I won't hurt her, I promise, okay?" Nathan tried to be civilized.

"I can't believe this shit! Haley you're an idiot if you believe him because he's exactly like the other son of a bitch that you dated."

"And this is coming from a guy who has gotten as much girls as boxer shorts!" Haley replied.

"You are just a brand new toy for him."

"Luke! Shut up!" Jake warned him.

"So you're on his side?"

"I'm on Haley's side. If she's happy, I'm happy." Jake simply replied.

"You think you're better than him? Besides it's not your fucking business." Peyton defended her friend.

"I don't get it! You hated him for fuck sake!"

"Lucas! Drop it!" Haley warned him. "Nathan I'm sorry." She turned towards Nathan.

"Okay I tried to be nice but if you don't like it, then cry me a fucking river, build a bridge, and get the fuck over it! Now if you don't mind I have to celebrate my girl's birthday." Nathan said before he left to the living room.

"What is wrong with you?" Haley asked Lucas.

"It's funny I was going to ask you the same question."

"I like him Luke. And I'm not gonna apologize for this."

"Whatever! I'm out." Lucas said before to disappearing into the elevator.

"What a charming person! Very likable!" Peyton said sarcastically.

"It doesn't seem like this but he is actually." Jake defended Lucas as Haley sighed.

"And Nathan doesn't know yet that he's with his sister. It bodes well!"

* * *

><p>"Happy Birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you Gracie! Happy birthday to you!" Everybody sang as they were smiling at Grace.<p>

"Now make a wish!" Nathan said.

Grace closed her eyes and thought about it for a few seconds. Then she opened her eyes and she blew all the candles while everybody applauded her.

"Let's unwrap your gifts Buttercup!"

"Sweet!"

She unwrapped the first gift it was Haley and Jake's. It was a gold necklace with her first name and a little heart shaped diamond.

"Wow!" Grace was impressed.

"Guys this is too much!" Nathan said.

"No it's a beautiful gift for a beautiful little girl." Haley said.

"Still!"

Grace continued to unwrap her gifts one after the other. She was about to take Brooke's gift when Nathan noticed that she wasn't here anymore.

"Wait! Where is Brooke?"

He scanned the room but he couldn't find her.

"Okay, you're gonna open mine first, then I'm gonna find auntie Brooke."

Grace started to open as Nathan was speaking to her.

"It's just the half of the gift, I couldn't bring the other half here." Nathan explained.

It was horse-riding equipment. Grace jumped into her father arms. She had been begging him one for at least a year now.

"Your pony is in the riding school!"

"Is it only mine?" She asked to her father.

"Here! Look at your name." Nathan said as he was showing her the purchase certificate.

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you daddy!" She said as she was hugging him.

"Now let me find Brooke."

* * *

><p>Nathan knocked on Brooke's room door.<p>

"Who is it?" Brooke asked

"It's me." He said as he was coming in. "Gracie wants to open... Did you cry?" Nathan said as he noticed that Brooke's eyes were red and puffy.

"I'm sorry." She had difficulty to articulate because she was crying.

"Hey... What's going on?" He asked

"I don't want to talk about it."

"That's okay! You'll talk to me when you'll be ready. Now we're gonna sit and you're gonna cry on my shoulder for as long as you need to, okay? Come here." Nathan said as he took his sister into his arms while she completely lost it.

* * *

><p><strong>Please review.<strong>

**I'd be happy to answer all of your questions.**

**Next time :**

**Naley first date.**

**And a really really huge surprise for one of the pairing!**

**See you.**


	9. Chapter 8

**As always thank you for the feedbacks, just keep it that way! I never thought that I'd have mire than 100 reviews, it's just too fucking awesome!**

**So I'm back with a new chapter. It was so long that I cut it in two parts. Here is the first part.**

**Some of you are really worried about Brucas, I know it's hard but I swear it's gonna be okay! Bible! But before it's gonna be painful and the weird thing is that I'm sure you're gonna be happy about it! Besides you can relax with Naley and Jeyton, at least for now! Yeah I love dramas, it's more fun that way!**

**Okay enough! Good reading fellows!**

* * *

><p>A week had passed since Grace's birthday, and Nathan and Haley were finally going to have their first date. She had no idea what Nathan's plan was since he wanted it to be a surprise. Haley was on edge; she was a control freak, good or bad, she hated surprises.<p>

"I don't even know what to wear! What could I wear?" She asked in frustration while she was looking at her wardrobe in her bathrobe.

"Do I look like a fucking fashion designer?" Jake asked to her rhetorically as she was sighing.

"You are useless."

"Okay, let me see." Jake said sighing and pushing Haley away so he could take a look at her clothes.

"You're killing me!" Jake complained as he picked a red dress. " I don't know try this!" He commanded as he turned around so Haley could get changed.

"So you still not talking to Lucas?" He asked.

"Nope! And I'm not going to until he stops acting like an idiot. I mean it's not that hard, Nathan behaved himself the past week." She said as she slipped the dress over her head.

"You know he feels bad since Brooke broke up with him, you should talk to him." Jake told her, trying to get Haley to see how Lucas felt.

"But this is all his fault. I spoke with Brooke and like I said he's an idiot. He has to grow up for God sake... How do I look?" She said as Jake turned around to look at her.

"It's good!" He simply said.

"I'm gonna change."

"No, no , no, no, no! You're gorgeous." He stated as she looked at herself in her beautiful strapless vermilion dress in the mirror.

"Not bad! I should confer to you more often."

''Please don't!" He almost begged her. "What if you told him to suck it up and to apologize to her?"

"That's not the problem. He has commitment issues, and the only person that can help him is himself. If he really likes her, he'll come around eventually."

"That's funny… because I know someone else who has this exact same problem."

"I have my reasons." Haley snapped back.

"You mean Damien West? I know I was there, remember! And I never liked the guy but still what the fuck did he do to you?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Hales! You've been saying that for two years now. I'm tired of you using that line. You have to tell to someone, anyone, okay?"

"I don't know Jake... Up or down?" She asked about her hair to change of subject.

"I don't know." He replied as Haley looked at him with more insistence. "I don't know... up, you really need to stop to ask me these kind of things!"

"So I hear that you want to bring Peyton to San Francisco for thanksgiving. Did you warn her about your mother?" Haley asked.

"What? My mother? What is wrong with my mum?"

"Seriously? You don't see what I mean? Your mother kind of hates every girl you date or just the ones who look at you."

"What? No!"

"Yes she does! Do you remember when your parents came here last year? I mean she practically told me that I was fat!" Haley complained.

"She'd never say such a thing."

"She told me to stop eating!"

"To be fair Hales! It was Yom Kippour and you were eating your non-kosher food right in front of her!"

"Okay fair enough." She said as she was putting some make up on.

Haley was smiling at herself in the mirror while Jake was looking at her in silence.

"What?" Haley asked.

"Nothing, it's just nice to see you happy."

"Jake it's just a date, no more okay?" She wanted to be clear.

"You don't know that maybe is the..."

"Don't feed me with your whole ''soulmate'' thing okay? I can't deal with it right now."

"I know that Lucas doesn't like him but I think he's a nice guy."

"He can be a jerk at first but when you scratch the surface he's actually a pretty great guy."

"So what's the problem? He seems perfect for you." Jake asked.

"The problem is that his heart is already taken."

"What do you mean his heart is already taken?"

"I mean that I can't compete with a ghost."

"Hales his wife died almost 4 years ago, I think he's ready to move on."

"You should hear the way he talks about her. What if he can't move on?" Haley got insecure.

"He is! And you too. It's gonna be okay." Jake reassured her.

"Yeah you're right." She tried to convince herself. "Oh my god it's almost 6 pm already! Who take his date this early?" Haley complained.

"Why do you look at me like that? I don't know!" He defended himself.

* * *

><p>Brooke was in her bed with a giant Ben &amp; Jerry's Chocolate chip cookie dough tub. She was re-watching Gilmore girls from the beginning. Her phone was ringing when Nathan came in her room.<p>

"Who is it?" Nathan asked.

"Nobody." She said as she saw that it was Lucas who was calling for the hundredth times.

"It's him again! He got some nerve, Are you sure that you don't want to tell me who this bastard is? I could..."

"No! I'm done with him, I just don't want to talk about it, ever!" Brooke interrupted him.

"Whatever you want!" He said as he was sighing.

"So where are you bringing Haley?" Brooke asked.

"It's a surprise. But I promise I'll tell you everything tomorrow. I know that you love to hear this kind of story." He said as he was smiling blissfully.

"It's nice to see you smile." She said as she was almost crying.

"Brooke! You sure it's okay? Because I can't stay here with you. I can call Haley and..."

"No way! I've waited for this for at least 3 years. You can't escape from this brother." She said as she was wiping her tears.

"I really hate this guy!" He said as he sighed again.

"Go and impress her. Make me proud!"

"I'll do my best." He promised. "Rosa cleaned the house and Kelly is here, she's gonna take care of Gracie, but if you need me, just call me okay? I love you." He said, hugging his broken hearted sister before walking out of her room.

The door was hardly closed that Brooke's phone rang again.

"Just leave me the fuck alone Lucas!" She yelled before she hung up the phone without letting him speak.

* * *

><p>Nathan was in the basement garage, getting into his beautiful 1957 red Porsche Speedster Replica for the special occasion. Lately he became a little lighter because he was getting closer to Haley, but he also became a little heavier because he was getting farther from Victoire. Despite what he was feeling, he knew he was making the right choice. Lately everything felt so great, it was like being with Haley always had been the right thing to do. And he knew that eventually the weight he felt in his heart would disappear, it was just a matter of time.<p>

Nathan was driving in New York as he was listening the violin concerto by Tchaikovsky. It was a habit that his mother left him, like she used to do, he listened Chopin when he was sad and Tchaikovsky when he was happy. Needless to say that unfortunately for him, he was most accustumed to Chopin.

After half an hour he arrived to Haley's house. He rang at the doorbell and Lucas opened the door, but he slammed it as soon as he saw that it was Nathan.

"Nice to see you too." Nathan muttered.

A few seconds later the door opened again.

"I'm sorry dude, his girlfriend broke up with him and he's a real pain in the ass." Jake said as he was shaking Nathan's hand.

"Poor girl!" He mocked.

"Come in! She's not ready yet."

"Okay!" Nathan said as he walked in.

"Would you like something to drink?" Jake offered to him.

"Well if you don't mind I appreciate a glass of water please."

"I'll bring you that. Come on, sit down! Make yourself comfortable. God only knows how much time she needs to get ready!" He joked as he was showing an armchair.

"Thanks! I'm used to it, my sister is by far the worst." Nathan said laughing.

Jake came back a minute later with two glasses of water, giving one to Nathan as he sat down to turn on the TV to ESPN.

It was a Dallas Cowboys versus the New York Giants game.

"Oh c'mon break that tackle baby!" Nathan said as he watched the screen.

"Ooh!"

"Yes!"

"No kill him! Kill him!" Jake yelled.

"Oh!"

"Hit him!" Jake yelled again.

"Good go!" Nathan said.

"Hit him!"

"All the waaay! Tuchdooown! Whooo!" Nathan was in ecstasy while Hakeem Nicks from the Giants had just made a touchdown.

"Fuck!" Jake shouted as Nathan smirked.

"Cowboys' fan?" Nathan asked.

"Always have, always will. Don't tell me you're a Giants' fan."

"I'm born here, what did you expect?"

"Do you play?"

"Not anymore but I was the QB1 of the Yale Bulldogs." Nathan answered proudly.

"No fucking way! You're that Nathan Scott? I can't believe this. You were the star dude! I was pretty sure that you'd become pro." Jake complimented him

"Sure I loved it but it was just a game for me. But wait a minute you played for the Princeton Tigers, didn't you? Jake Jagleski, Wide receiver!" Nathan remembered.

"Yeah! I remember when..." Jake couldn't finish his sentence.

They heard the noises of Haley's heels going down the stairs. She slowly walked towards Nathan and Jake as she was smiling. Nathan and Haley were looking right into each other eyes.

"Okay I'm gonna see Peyton. Haley you really look great, Nathan it was really nice to catch up, we definitively have to play one day, just for fun. Okay I'm out, see you!"

"Yeah I'm gonna kick your ass Jagleski!" Nathan joked.

"We'll see about that." Jake answered before he disapeared behind the door.

"You're stunning!" Nathan said as he took a few steps towards her, capturing her lips. "Mmm! You taste like strawberries, I could never get enough of it!" He groaned.

"Are you going to tell me where we're going?" She asked, her lips still on his.

"You know the principle of a surprise is to be actually surprised, right?"

"But I hate surprises!" She said whimsically with a pouty face.

"You're gonna love this one, I promise... Okay it's not that I don't like to kiss you but we have to go." He said taking her hand.

"What restaurant did you choose? I bet it's in the Upper East Side." Haley asked.

"You'll see." He said as he helped her into her coat.

"And why we have to go this early anyway?"

"You'll see." Nate answered, trying to be as suspicious as possible.

"You need to answer me!" Haley got impatient. "Oh my God! Are we..."

"Haley! Relax!" He commanded her as he was opening the car door for her and he waited until she sat down to close the door.

"Nice car!"

"I thought it'd be perfect for the occasion."

"By the way you're a real gentleman!" Haley was impressed.

"My mum never had a man who would open the door and pull the chair for her so she thought that at least I would do it for her. It's a habit now, I do it for Gracie, for Brooke or for Peyton." Nathan explained as he started up.

"Your mother raised you well."

"She did her best." He said a little sad.

"It's maybe indiscreet but what happened to her?" Haley asked.

"No, not at all, I told you, you can ask me anything... My mother had a brain tumor. It was very quick, she was gone in a month. Okay enough with my family, what about yours?" He tried to reply without falling apart.

"Okay. My parents are incorrigible hippies, I have 6 siblings and I'm the youngest. First there is Vivian, then Doug and Quinn, and my crazy sister Taylor, even if everyone is crazy in this family she's for sure the worst, after there the twins Brian and Gavin and finally me."

"This seems nice."

"I don't think so. I never had a bedroom just for me, or warm water to take a shower, and when I went down to the kitchen in the morning they had eaten all the cocoa puffs." She said as she was laughing.

"It's funny because I had a bedroom for myself and Brooke had one as well, but she always ended up in mine because we were scared, we were all alone and the place was huge. Well we had a nurse but she wasn't very warm. I guess we are never happy with what we got."

"I guess." Haley said. "So we're not in NYC anymore, where are we going?" Haley asked again.

"Are we really gonna do this again? You're so stubborn and the weird thing is that it's made you more desirable." He kind of complimented her.

"Now I don't know if have to punch you or to thank you." She said as he smiled at her.

They were both silent for a few minutes, but it wasn't awkward at all. Haley was looking at the road signs to have an idea of where they were going.

"Hamptons it is, huh?" She asked to him as he shrugged by way of reply. "And you said I'm stubborn? We're going to have a problem here, two stubborn people means lots of fights!"

"And fights means to make up in bed a lot! I don't see what is the problem here."

"It's a good way to see the situation. Love the attitude!"

"Yeah that's all me, always see the glass as half-full."

* * *

><p>In Manhattan, Brooke was weeping alone in her room. Her heartache was proving to be too much for her. Plus she hadn't really talked to anyone since she broke up with Lucas. She couldn't talk to her brother because he'd freak out, Peyton was still in honey moon mode with Jake since their 'I love you's' and didn't have much time to speak, and Haley was Lucas' best friend. She was desperate, she could have talked to anyone, so she took her phone and dialed Clay's number. Clay and Brooke met each other about 7 years ago when she came to visit her brother at Yale. He immediately had a crush on her but she wasn't interested, so they became good friends instead, even if he still flirted with her and she always rebuffed him, it was their routine now, just a game.<p>

"Hey it's Brooke... not really... Can you come here? Please, I need to talk... Thanks." Brooke said to Clay before she hung up her phone.

It was 8 P.M and Grace was already in bed, the nanny and the maid had left. She went down the stairs to the kitchen and she opened the fridge. She stared it for a while before she made up her mind and chose a big chocolate cake. She didn't even bother to cut a portion, she took a spoon with the whole cake instead and she went up to her room.

She set up in her bed and pressed the play button of her DVD player to start the second season of Gilmore girls.

She barely had the time to watch the season premiere before Clay was already knocking at her room door.

"That's not fair, you don't even try and you're still beautiful!" Clay complimented her as he sat down next to her.

"Way too beautiful for you." She mocked as she was crying.

"Obviously." He replied to her as he was smiling at her.

"Clay I'm an idiot. I should have listen to Nate." She said as she cried even more.

"Hey I don't know who it is but he is a fucking idiot! And if you start to listen your brother you're gonna end up all alone with a bunch of cats, because you know he thinks that none of us is good enough for you, well he's not completely wrong for that matter."

"What the hell is wrong with me? Why do I always choose the wrong guy?"

"Nothing is wrong with you, you're just an hopeless romantic, it's not that bad."

"Not this time.." Brooke said seriously.

"Seriously who is this prick?" He asked.

"Promise me you won't tell to Nate!"

"I promise. Who is it Brooke?" Clay was very concerned.

* * *

><p>"Okay this is it. Let me put this on your eyes." Nathan said as he was fastening a blindfold on her eyes.<p>

"And I thought that your penthouse was big. Seriously this house is huge, is it yours?" She asked as she showed no resistance.

"It's mine now, my great grandfather had this house built." He explained as he guided her with his hand.

"Where are we going?"

"Give me a few seconds…here we are!" He said taking off the blindfold.

"Oh my..." Haley was speechless.

They were on the beach, there was a table for two with tallow candles and rose petals on it by the water and candles everywhere on the sand.

Nathan pulled the chair for Haley before he sat down.

"I'm really impressed. This is beautiful but how did you do this? You were in Manhattan today."

"It's a secret."

"What? You have super powers or something?"

"Actually... I have something to tell you..." He joked.

"You're an idiot!"

"No, Emily did everything."

"Emily?"

"Is it jealousy that I see?" He teased her.

"What? No! I'm just curious." She defended herself.

"Whatever! Emily is the maid. You're cute when you're jealous."

"I was not jealous!"

"Your nose is growing." He joked.

"So what did your maid cook?" Haley asked, changing the subject.

"Nothing because I'm going to cook."

"I don't think so. I mean I'm pretty sure that there was always someone to cook for you. So you probably really bad at it. Are you sure you want to do this?" She mocked him.

"Positive. Prepare to be surprised!"

"Great now I'm in risk of food poisoning!" She said as she was laughing.

"You know you should watch out because I wouldn't want to see you wet!"

"Wait, what?"

She didn't have the time to understand that Nathan had already caught her and thrown her in the water.

* * *

><p>"Wow! Luckily your brother doesn't know anything."<p>

"Sooner or later Nate will have to know about Lucas and I." Brooke said to Clay.

"Not necessarily." He tried to reassure her.

"Trust me there is no way he can't know!" She insisted.

"Why? Wait I'm gonna find two glasses and bring us some vodka."

"That's the thing Clay, I can't drink."

Clay was staring at Brooke soaking in her words. Obviously Nathan will need to know this. And the sure thing is he won't be happy about it.

* * *

><p><strong>So what do you think about it?<strong>

**Next :**

**We'll know more about Brooke's situation**

**The rest of Naley's date.**


	10. Chapter 9

**Hey here I am again! I wanted to thank you for all the love folks, especially after all this time. So I decided that I'm going to respond to all of you who didn't have an account here.**

_**allison**** : **_**I'm really happy that you loved Naley's date so far, and yeah Nathan became a real gentleman. You're gonna see in this chapter if Lucas knew about it or not.  
><strong>_**Denise**_** : Clay always have been here for her and it's not going to change.**

_**Aure**_** : I'm really happy that you like my story and Naley. And you're right Lucas has to grow up especially in the situation we'll see if he will.  
><strong>_**Nomie **_**: Yes Jake did know about Haley and Damien since he was in Princeton with them but he don't knw about the whole thing. I wanted to Nate and Jake get along, they're going to be good friends. It's great that you love Brathan sibling relationship. Yep Brooke is pregnant!**_**  
>Jennifer<strong>_** : It's really nice of you to take the time to read my story. I know that I made a lot of gramatical mistakes and that the structure of my sentences isn't that great but I'm working on it. You know I'm french and english is not my first language so I hope you'll forgive me and that you'll continue to read my story. Glad you like Brucas though.  
><strong>_**Guest**_** : Happy that you like Naley's date and you'll see if Haley's going to be the love of his life but you know I like happy end so...**

**Okay here's the next chapter it has some ****MATURE SEXUAL CONTENTS**

**So you've been warned.**

**Good reading!  
><strong>

* * *

><p>"Brooke." Clay said compassionately.<p>

"I know." She simply replied.

"Does he know?"

"No, and he won't!"

"What do you mean? Do you want to... you know..." He insinuated.

Brooke looked at him with teary eyes. Talking about it out loud made it so real, she didn't realize until now how messed up the situation was.

"I really don't know what I'm gonna do."

"But you know that if you keep it, you'll have to tell him, I mean he's the father, you can't..."

"First of all, I don't know if I'm gonna keep it. Second of all, I don't want to speak to him, ever!"

"You realize that your brother is with his best friend, right? Sooner or later he'll find out."

"I don't fucking care as long as I don't have to speak to him!"

"I don't know Brooke, if I was him..." He tried to find his words but then he saw how upset she was.

"Never mind. Come here." He resigned as he took her in his arms.

"How far are you?"

"I don't know, I just peed on some sticks!"

"Brooke! You need to see a doctor."

Brooke stayed silent as she stayed in Clay's arms. Her life did a complete 180 and Clay was right here for her, just like he always has been. She looked up into Clay's blue eyes and smiled weakly.

"If I was reasonable, we would have been together and happy for years now."

"Oh come on Brooke! We all know that reasonable is not the characteristic that defines you the best. Plus like you say yourself, you're so far out of my league." Clay joked.

"Yeah because every guy I dated were so worthy." She said sarcastically as she was rolling her eyes.

"You have a point here... Oh my god you have terrible tastes!"

"Shut up!" She said as she hit his arm. "Maybe we'd be great together, maybe I'd be finally happy."

"You wouldn't." He simply replied.

"Why not?"

"Because you don't love me. Well at least not that way."

"Maybe I could learn to love you." She said causing him a sigh.

"You know I wish... I'm not an expert in these things but... I'm pretty sure love is not a thing to learn."

Clay was still holding her, caressing her hair as her eyes were closed, then she smiled devilishly.

"You're probably right. Besides I'm subjected to your harassment for 7 years now, so if we were meant to be I guess I'd act like a lovesick teenager right now."

"Ouch! That was harsh!" He said smiling, happy that she had still the strength to mock him. "Joking aside, when are you gonna tell to Nate?" He asked in a serious tone.

"Is it really necessary?"

"I'm afraid yes... Hey! You know 6 years ago he was in a situation not so different of yours. Victoire and him weren't sure about having a baby, I remember they were so young and Nate totally freaked out. I think you need to tell him, he'll know what to say, he'll find something to help you to make a decision, I'm sure about it."

"Clay."

"Yeah?"

"6 years ago, what did you tell him, to Nate?"

"I told him that he loved Victoire more than anyone and that for a reason that I couldn't explain and as crazy as it sounded at the time, she loved him even more so it'd be okay."

"Yeah... too bad that I'm the only one who is in love here." Brooke replied with a sigh, huddling closer into Clay's chest.

* * *

><p>"Are you out of your mind? You do remember that it's October right!" Haley yelled at Nathan who was laughing.<p>

"You think this is funny? I hope you're laughing when I'll be dead because I'd catch a pneumonia."

"I'm sorry but all I can think about is that you'll have to take off your wet dress." He said as he smirked.

"Oh yeah?"

Haley was totally teasing him. She walked in a very sexy way towards him, then she put her arms around Nathan's neck and kissed him hard. His hands slowly made its way down her back when she pulled him apart. The moon glistened over the water and candle light surrounded them.

"Don't stop!" He begged as he crashed his lips on hers again while Haley was shivering. "Oh my God! You're freezing! I'm sorry let's go inside, I'm gonna see if I can find some clothes." Nathan apologized.

As soon as they got inside, Haley dashed to Nathan's room as he started a fire in the lounge. He soon turned around to see Haley wearing nothing but his old Yale t-shirt.

"Throwing you in the ocean : best idea ever!"

Haley wasn't paying attention to Nathan's words at the moment. She was mesmerized at the place he had brought her to. Everything was so posh and classic. It made her want to curl up under a blanket with Nathan and never leave.

"It's fantastic here! We don't build these kinds of places anymore." She said in amazement.

"I always thought it was too much."

"You're kidding! These high vaulted ceilings, the molding, the beams... It has a lot of character, this place has a soul. If I owned this place I'd never left it."

"You'd love the mansion-house in Paris."

"Of course you have a mansion-house in Paris!"

"Well Gracie's french too and she had her family who lived here so I thought it was important to buy something over there. Have you ever been to Paris?"

"Never."

"This city is just pure magic, nothing less."

"Maybe one day I'd have the chance to go there."

"I'll make sure of that." Nathan promised as he captured her lips.

Slowly he began kissing his way lower and sucking a spot on her neck.

"God! I want you so fucking bad Hales!"

5 minutes ago Haley was freezing. Now she couldn't get any hotter. The fact he said that he wanted her and called her by her nickname without forgetting he was sucking her neck totally turned her on.

"Don't you have to cook something?" She asked trying to regain some control.

"Yeah you're right!"

It was really hard for him to restrain himself but obviously Haley wasn't comfortable to be intimate with him again, at least that's what he thought, and the last thing he wanted was to rush her. He knew that it was his chance, that Haley was his chance to be happy again, and he wasn't going to blow it. No, he was going to treasure her instead.

"So what are we going to eat?"

"La surprise du chef." (1) He replied in french.

"Oh Lord! Stop talking in french, I can't handle it."

Suddenly Haley pictured Nathan making love to her on a grand piano as he was whispering some french words in her ear. Lost in her fantasy, a moan escaped of her mouth.

"I hope you're thinking of me." He said as he smirked.

"Not at all. Wipe off that supid smirk of your face!" She commanded him as she was biting her lower lip.

"I've noticed something."

"What?"

"When you're lying you do this thing, you know biting your lower lip. So I'm pretty sure you were thinking of me. Tell me about it." He asked her.

"God! I hate myself!"

She was infuriated and the more she was the more he laughed.

"So?"

"Promise you're not going to laugh!"

"Pinky swear!" He swore as they entwined their pinky fingers.

"You were taking me on a piano and speaking to me in french." She confessed as she was blushing. "So? you want me too."

"Maybe." He grabbed her by the arm without warning her.

"Where are we going?"

They were running through the house. Haley was about to complain when they finally stopped in the library but more importantly there was a piano in the middle of the room.

"You're a pig!"

"Says the girl who imagined it in the first place." He mocked her.

"Play me something you idiot!" She commanded him.

"What do you want me to play?"

"I don't know, whatever you want."

He sat at the piano as Haley sat on the piano itself, her naked legs swinging. He began to play a few notes and Haley recognized the melody immediately.

"I heard that it was your depressing song let's make it your happy song." He said as he continued to play. Haley was smiling.

_When you try your best but you don't succeed_

Haley closed her eyes, Nathan's voice flowing through the room. He wasn't that bad of a singer. She could listen to him sing this song to her all day.

_When you get what you want but not what you need_

_When you feel so tired but you can't sleep_

_Stuck in reverse_

_And the tears come streaming down your face_

_When you lose something you can't replace_

_When you love someone but it goes to waste_

_Could it be worse?_

Nathan looked up as Haley briefly opened her eyes. He smiled as he continued to play.

_And ignite your bones_

_And I will try to fix you_

Haley started to smile as she looked into his blue eyes. This moment couldn't get any better.

_And high up above or down below_

_When you're too in love to let it go_

_But if you never try you'll never know_

_Just what you're worth_

_Lights will guide you home_

_And ignite your bones_

_And I will try to fix you_

When the rhythm of the song quickened, he started to play like there was no tomorrow a la Chris Martin and gave all he's got.

"Come on sing with me!" He spoke louder so that Haley could hear him.

"No way. I don't sing."

"Come on! it'll be fun."

_Tears stream down your face_

_When you lose something you cannot replace_

_Tears stream down your face_

_And I_

_Tears stream down your face_

_I promise you I will learn from my mistakes_

_Tears stream down your face_

_And I_

_Lights will guide you home_

They finally sang/yelled together over the music. And for the first time in years the stressed, workaholic Haley and the devastated, grieving Nathan just let it go. Just the two of them and a piano was enough to live a moment, the kind that is like pure heroin, that they'll never forget.

Nathan played the last notes. They were laughing out loud, euphoric as they were trying to catch their breath when Nathan looked into her eyes more deeply, amazed by her laugh.

"What?"

"J'ai envie de toi!"(2) He said huskily with an accent that every single french girl would have died for.

"Oh boy!" She didn't have any idea of what did he say but found him very attractive.

"Putain qu'est-ce que t'es belle!"(3)

Haley couldn't wait any longer. She needed him, and she needed him now. She removed the Yale t-shirt leaving her completely naked. His eyes were completely transfixed on her. He took her by the waist to put her onto the keyboard thus a few notes resounded all over the room. He took off his clothes wanting to be naked just like her. Nathan was completely wrapped up in everything about her, especially the sounds she was making. She was arching her back into him and he could feel her hardened nipples poking into his chest. He bit her shoulder utterly intoxicated by her Coco Mademoiselle perfume. His hands slowly ran down her perfect body touching nothing but skin. Haley's breath quickened with each touch. With every second passed her center was aching more, it was a delicious torture. Her hand reached down to stroke his length, smiling as she felt him instantly growing.

"Speak to me." She begged him.

"Ta peau est si douce."(4) He continued to murmur in French, determined to realize her own fantasy.

He kneeled down and placed his head in front of her chore, then he hooked her legs around his shoulders and started licking her gently causing her a moan.

"It's so good!"

_God she sounds fucking sexy! _He thought to himself.

He plunged a finger inside of her as he was still licking and nibbling her

"More." She commanded him, well more like begged him.

Nathan could feel her tighten up around his fingers and couldn't help but smirk at her. He moved his fingers in and out of her, being sure to hit that same spot repeatedly.

"Nathan..." She moaned knowing her release coming quick.

"Come for me babe!" Nathan hardly finished his sentence that she cried out his name again.

"You're very good at this you know?" She managed to say after her breathing came back to normal.

"You're not going to find someone better!" He said cockily.

"You're so conceited!"

"Does it mean that you want me to leave you alone?" He teased her.

"No weirdly your cockiness turn me on!" She confessed, regretting instantly what she said.

"Oh I know that already!" He said as she rolled her eyes.

He couldn't fight it any more. He wanted to take her again like he had a couple of weeks ago. The sexual energy he was feeling was coursing through him relentlessly and his body was responding in the only way it knew how.

"I need you to say it Hales, tell me you want this." Nathan said as he stared into her deep brown eyes.

"I want you, I need you inside of me."

It was all he needed to hear, he layed her on the ground and spread her legs. With one thrust he plunged himself deeply inside of her. She closed her eyes as she buried her face in the hollow of his shoulder. He could feel the heat of her breath.

"Fuck! You're so fucking tight." He groaned as he started to move his hips in and out of her.

She couldn't think straight as he was hitting a particularly sensitive spot. She was breathing sharp and fast. He was changing the angle of his hips slightly going even faster. He couldn't get enough of her, he wanted to feel her completely. He placed a series of kisses on her cleavage as she wrapped her legs around his waist and lifted her hips towards him to make him go even deeper if it was possible. He could feel her body tighten so he forced her to look at him. He wanted to see her when he'd send her to her climax.

"Nathan!" She cried out as she felt the full blown waves causing her to explode.

She softly moaned his name again and again as her orgasm continued to rip through every single inch of her body, making her tremble and shiver involuntarily underneath him, while he was still gazing at her in complete amazement. He continued to drive into her at a furious pace, before stilling his movements and leaning his head on the ground above her shoulder as he found his own release, her name dripping off his lips as he stilled his movements and rested his head just above her shoulder. He waited a few moments before his breathing calmed down slightly and placed a single kiss on the top of her shoulder before he rolled next to her.

"What does it mean?" Haley asked about the french sentence _'Je construirai un empire juste pour ton sourire'_ he had tattooed on his left arm. She had already noticed it but she didn't had the chance to ask him.

"It means that I'd build an empire just for your smile."

"It's beautiful. You're just like your sister. You're a hopeless romantic, aren't you?" She laughed at him.

"Not at all, it's bullshit! But I believe in love. You know someone told me once that life was for living and I guess I've forgot it lately, I won't waste it anymore, I'm going to fully live my life, it's just that I don't want to live it alone."

The problem was that Haley didn't believe in love, she thought it was just a chemical reaction of the brain and a heartbeat acceleration. She didn't know yet how much the man who in front of her would try to prove her wrong. But will she be ready?

"Speaking of Brooke, I'm really worried about her. She's miserable? Did she speak to you?"

"She called me a few days ago. She's a mess, she really needs you right now."

"Do you know who is the fucking bastard?" He asked her.

"Yeah, but I'm not gonna tell you. Just talk to her."

"I tried but she don't want to tell me who it is." He said with disappointment in his voice.

"Because she knows that you're gonna lose your temper and end up kicking his ass or worse."

"You're probably right but still she's my little sister, I feel responsible for her."

"I understand but she's a big girl, it's gonna be okay, trust me." She tried to reassure him.

"I wish I could but with her history I really doubt it."

They stayed in a comfortable silence for a few minutes, lying on the ground and looked at each other right in the eyes.

"I'm exausted!" Haley broke the silence.

"Oh! I've almost forgot!" He said as he suddenly stood up and picked up his clothes on the floor. He got dressed very quickly and disappeared before he came back a few minutes later with a light blue Tiffany & co gift-wrapped parcel. "It's for you." He said as he gave it to her.

"You shouldn't have." Haley said as she turned the gift over in her hand.

"Just open it." Nathan told her with a smile.

Haley unwrapped it with precaution as Nathan waited for her reaction.

"Oh my god!" She said in shock.

"What? You don't like it?" He asked, worried.

"I can't accept that, this is way too much! You're a crazy person." She said as she looked at the Tiffany enchantment diamond bracelet knowing it cost at least 10,000 dollars.

"So you don't like it?"

"You're kidding? It's beautiful! It's just... I can't." Haley replied, pushing her hand toward him.

"I don't see what the problem is, you like it and this is perfect on you. Plus it's better than flowers don't you think?" He said as he finished to put the bracelet on his wrist.

Nathan's family had a lot of money and 10 life times wouldn't be enough to spend it. It was just a trinket for him.

"Take your time! I'm gonna cook us something good." He said before he kissed her and disappeared again.

"I didn't say that I'll keep it!" Haley said loudly while he was exiting from the room.

"We'll see about that!" He said out loud in the corridor.

* * *

><p>"I'm gonna throw up!" Brooke said as she was running towards the bathroom.<p>

"Do you need some help?" Clay followed her.

She kneeled down at the toilet while Clay held her hair with a disgusted look on his face.

"Why is it called morning sickness if I'm sick all the fucking day long?" She complained. She immediately grabbed her toothbrush.

"We should call your brother, it'd be easier for you to tell him on the phone." Clay suggested.

"I'm not going to ruin his date. He's finally happy after all those years."

"You're right. He deserves it. I should stay with you when you're gonna tell him."

"Maybe Peyton could be here too." Brooke suggested.

"Good idea as a back-up." Clay replied.

An hour later, Peyton and Jake arrived at the Scott's penthouse.

"It's like there's an emergency everyday! What is it this time?" Peyton asked. She didn't bother to say hello.

"Nothing. I'm just pregnant." She said nonchalantly.

"Yeah right. No big deal. So Clay how're you doing?"

"Well, I'm fi..." Clay started to say before Peyton cut him off.

"Whatever. Brooke is fucking pregnant!" Peyton snapped.

"How is it possible? I mean you're on the pill and he wrapped his sausage, didn't he?"

"Wow! Classy Babe." Jake said.

"I guess nothing is 100% sure. And Jaglieski you're going to shut your mouth okay?" Brooke warned Jake.

"What? He doesn't know?" Jake asked.

"No. And I want to keep it that way." Brooke admitted.

"This is crazy. Luke is maybe an idiot sometimes but I'm sure that if he knew..." Jake said, trying to reason with Brooke before being cut off.

"If you tell him, I'll have to talk to him and I really don't want to do that. Just please don't tell him." She begged him as he nodded not so sure that he could not tell him.

"Thanks. Besides If you speak I'll cut your throat in your sleep!" She threatened him.

"So you're not gonna keep it?" Peyton asked.

"I don't know." Brooke replied warily.

"But you said that you didn't want him to know. If you keep it, very soon it'll show." Peyton pointed out.

"I just need some time to figure it out."

"But..."

"For fucks sake Peyton, just leave me alone with your questions. I don't have a fucking clue okay? I called you because I just need some support. I want you here tomorrow morning when I'll speak to Nathan."

"Okay I'll be here." Peyton replied silently.

The last thing she wanted to was upset her best friend in her time of need. Clay moved to the side as Peyton took her place behind Brooke, holding her hair as Brooke's face disappeared into the toilet bowl.

* * *

><p>Later in the evening, Peyton and Jake were in SoHo in Peyton's loft. She was on top of him in her bed. He devoured her lips as she was unbottoning his shirt.<p>

"What were they thinking?" Peyton interrupted him.

"What?" He didn't get any idea of what she was talking about.

"They knew each other just for a few months and even if they were together and married, 50% of couples split up." Peyton continued.

"You're talking about Brooke and Lucas." He sighed disappointed knowing they won't finish their make out session. He rolled off of her, straightening out his shirt.

"It's irresponsible. I mean if she keeps the baby... Poor kid."

"Maybe they'll figure it out, maybe they'll come back together." Jake always have been an optimist.

"Or they won't." Peyton retorted.

"So? Lots of kids grow up with divorced parents, and they survive."

"They shouldn't have to. Plus with the economic situation..."

"I read Forbes, the Scotts are one of the oldest and richest families of the country. I'm pretty sure she can afford everything a child needs. She could even adopt an entire orphanage!" Jake joked.

"And what about the fact that our planet is utterly fucked up. No really I can't understand people who want children these days." She finally confessed.

"Well..." Jake trailed off.

Peyton saw Jake's disconcerted face. "You want a child?" She asked.

"I've never thought about it... I don't know." He sighed.

Peyton grew silent and rolled over without saying a word. Jake sighed, laying on his back as he looked at the ceiling. Jake couldn't sleep, haunted by the conversation he had with Peyton. He was so sure that she was the one, he really was in love with her, but knowing that she categorically didn't want kids upset him. He didn't know why though, he wasn't the kind of guy who particularly liked kids, he even disliked most of them, but the fact that it was a possibility was reassuring. He wasn't sure he could live without being a dad one day. Could he make this sacrifice for her?

* * *

><p><strong>chef's surrprise<strong>

**I want you**

**You're fucking beautiful**

**Your skin is so smooth**

**Send me a review please.**


	11. Chapter 10

**Hello everybody! I wanted to thank you for sticking with me and continuing to review my story. I already replied to the ones who have an account. Now I'm going to reply here for the ones who leaved a feedback as a guest.  
><strong>_**KaDee : **_**I'm really you liked Naley and also how i'm picturing Peyton and Jake don't really what he wants at this point. Brooke is not delusional, she's upset, it's different.  
><strong>_**Nomie : **_**The previous chapter is my favorite chapter as well. Apparently there's lots of people who like Clay in this story. Haley has issues to commit because of what happened with Damien in the past. And yes there will be some troubles in Jeyton paradise.  
><strong>_**Anon : **_**I'm very glad you love the Nathan I pictured.  
><strong>_**Sacha : **_**You'll see if Haley's going to mess up. I mean I won't tell you that ah ah!  
><strong>_**Anonymous : **_**I don't know if she can keep the secret from Lucas but she certainly want to keep it.  
><strong>_**Guest : **_**You'll see in this chapter how Nathan's gonna react to the news.**

**So I have a question for all of you. Do you want Clay to have a more important rôle is the story? Just tell me what you think, it would help me a lot!**

**Okay enough with the rambling. This is the next chapter enjoy!**

* * *

><p>The next morning, Nathan was in the elevator smiling at himself, remembering all the little details of last night. He had just dropped Haley off at her place. He would have stayed with her all day if it was up to him but he couldn't leave Brooke by herself when she was so depressed. His sister had always been there for him when times were hard, it was his turn to be there for her. When the doors opened, he headed straight for the stairs and went up to see if Grace was in her room. Nathan hadn't spent much time with her the past couple days and felt terrible. That little girl made him smile more than anything else in the world. He opened the door but didn't find her so he walked towards Brooke's room and knocked at her door but nobody responded. <em>Maybe she felt better and they just went out. <em>He thought to himself.  
>He went to his room to wear something more comfortable. Then he came down to find something to eat. When he arrived to the kitchen, he jumped as he saw Brooke, Peyton and Clay sitting down at the kitchen table.<p>

"What the hell guys!" He screamed.

They stayed silent as he opened the fridge and took out some eggs and bacon and started whipping batter to make pancakes.

"Anyone want pancakes?" He asked but nobody replied to him. "Okay what is wrong with you? Usually when you hear 'pancake' it's like fucking world war 3 here!" He wondered as he noticed their haggard faces. Something was definitely wrong here.

Suddenly he totally panicked, remembering that Grace wasn't here and that something bad could have happened to her.

"Where is Gracie?" He asked very concerned.

"She's fine. She's at the riding school." Brooke immediately replied noticing he was worried.

"Okay so what's the fuck is going on here?" He got impatient.

"Nathan..." Brooke hesitated.

Peyton and Clay were staring at Nathan as he was staring at his sister. Brooke didn't dare to look anywhere but her own feet.

"Hey sis! Are you okay?" He said as he tried to catch her eyes but she didn't make it easy.

"Not really." Brooke replied, tears starting to run down her cheeks.

"Brooke I've already told you. This guy is a punk, he doesn't deserve any of your tears. Really, it's his loss." He tried to convince her after he presumed it was the reason of her helplessness.

"It's not that! Well not entirely." Brooke replied.

Nathan really started to get scared. The worst scenarios crossed his mind, and the fact that Peyton and Clay were here to support her didn't reassure him at all. If they were there it must be really serious.

"Pease tell me that the son of a bitch didn't force him on you!" He said as he was dreading her answer.

"What?! No! Oh my god! It's not that at all!" She hastened to say, afraid of his reaction if he had the wrong impression. He sighed in relief.

"So what is it? You know you can tell me anything." He asked again but nobody answered him. "Alright obviously everybody knows here... Just tell me!... For fuck sake!... Anyone..." He said after almost a minute had passed.

"I'm... I'm... I..." Brooke stammered, unable to tell the truth.

"Brooke please!" Nathan demanded.

"I'm..." Brooke stammered before Peyton shouted above her.

"For crying out loud, she's pregnant! That's it! I said it!" Peyton yelled.

Nathan was speechless. He had imagined everything except this. He sat down and took a few minutes to process the new information as the others were looking at him carefully. Brooke was nervous, she knew that it was just a matter of time before he yelled at her saying how much he was disappointed in her, and the one thing that Brooke hated above all was to disappoint her big brother.  
>When the element of surprise has passed, Nathan could feel anger rushing in him. He really hated that guy, whoever the hell he was. The guy had impregnated her and left her all by herself. <em>What kind of man does this? <em>He thought to himself as he clenched his fists.

"Nate? Are you gonna say something?" Brooke asked to her brother, being more nervous and nervous by his silence.

"Hey Nate! Say something!" Clay yelled as he waved his hand in front of Nathan's face, trying to get a reaction out of him.

Nathan wanted to yell at her but he knew that it wasn't his place, he was her brother not her father. Besides it was her life not his. He could have lectured her but what was the point anyway? At the end of the day she'd still be pregnant with a guy who obviously didn't love her. At this point the only thing which could ease him was to kill the guy, well at least beat the crap out of him.

"Who the fuck is he?" He asked angrily as Brooke jumped.

"I'm not going to tell you! Especially when you're like that." Brooke firmly replied.

"Whatever. I'll figure it out." He said knowing that he was going nowhere by asking Brooke. "So what do you want to do?" He asked almost quietly.

"I don't know yet." Brooke whispered, feeling weak in front of her brother.

"Okay." He said without any expression on his face. "I'm going to pick up Gracie at the riding school." He informed them.

"But Nate..." Brooke said.

"I have to pick up Gracie at the riding school." He said again as he stood up and got out of the kitchen. Then they heard the elevator doors close.

"So he took it quite well!" Peyton said.

"Did you even pay attention?" Brooke spoke. "It was worse than I thought."

"Yeah I know." Peyton said knowing that what she said before was just a lie.

"He didn't yell, he didn't even lecture me!" Brooke said.

"Which means that he's gonna explode later..." Clay stated.

"And it's gonna get very ugly!" Brooke said, finishing his sentence.

They knew him like the back of their hands. Well, they didn't know so much about the things in his mind because of the walls he had built around him but they could easily predict how he was going to react. And if history repeated itself, Nathan would raise hell on Brooke until he figured out who the father was.

* * *

><p>A couple of days had passed and Nathan lapsed into silence. He didn't talk to anybody besides his daughter. He even fought with Haley because she didn't want to tell him who Brooke dated. He didn't understand why she didn't though. He was her boyfriend, well kind of, he didn't know what was their relationship's status yet. But anyway the point was that she didn't know Brooke since more of a couple of months, they weren't real friends, so he was more important than his sister to her, wasn't he? Couldn't she be like his sister? Brooke was a lovely girl but she wasn't really great to keep a secret. Though he really liked that Haley was worthy of trust, she was very loyal and above all quiet. He was at her door in Brooklyn with a light pink roses bouquet and chocolates hidden in his hand behind his back, thinking about what he could say or do to have her forgiveness. He was about to knock on the door when Lucas opened it to go out.<p>

"And here I was thinking that my day couldn't be any worse." Lucas mumbled. "I was so wrong."

"Look dude! I know you don't like me..." Nathan began to speak before being cut off.

"That's an understatement." Lucas scoffed.

"I'm trying here... So like I said you don't like me and let's say that I'm not crazy about you either but I think we should try to get along, at least for Haley." Nathan said, trying to be reasonable.

"Are you fucking kidding me? I hate you. Besides she won't be with you for long. So I'm just gonna wait until she dumps your sorry ass." Lucas replied with a fake smile.

"Yeah we'll see about that... Anyway I like her and she's your friend so for her sake just pretend you don't hate me, okay?" Nathan asked.

"Whatever." Lucas replied as he walked away he pushed Nathan to the side.

_Unbelievable_! Nathan thought to himself.

"What are you doing here?" Haley asked after she showed up at the door.

"I'm here to see if you can forgive an idiot like me." Nathan replied.

"That depends, did you bring some chocolates with those flowers?" Haley said as she tried hard to still have an angry face.

"Let's see..." He said as he held out the chocolates.

"You're lucky, come on in!" She said as she took the flowers and the chocolates.

"I'm so sorry Hales. It's just that Brooke is pregnant and..." He started to explain before Haley cut him off.

"Wait! What?!" She wasn't really sure that she heard him well.

"She's pregnant and he left her all alone. Why she always has to pick the worst guys, it's beyond me." Nathan sighed.

Haley took a seat in the kitchen utterly dumbfounded. She was in a very delicate position. Apparently Brooke didn't want to tell Lucas so it's certainly wasn't her place to speak to him but still, Lucas was her best friend, she couldn't hide something so big from him. Plus the fact that she was currently with Nathan aka Brooke's brother didn't make anything easier.

"Is she okay?" She asked.

"What do you think?" Nate asked sarcastically.

"I'm sorry, it's just that I'm in shock." Haley apologized.

"You should have seen me when she told me." Nathan replied with a sigh.

"Wow! I just can't believe this. Did she tell the guy?" Haley tried to know more.

"I'm pretty sure that's why he dumped her." Nathan assumed.

"I really doubt that. I mean, I'm sure that if he knew he'd help her." Haley replied, defending her friend.

"Why do you defend him? Why do you protect him?" Nathan asked, raising his voice.

"I'm not defending him. I just said that I can't imagine a man who wouldn't care about his own child."

Haley knew that she was too obvious, she couldn't insist and defend Lucas because if she did, Nathan will figure it out.

"And that's why there aren't mothers who raise their kids by themselves." Nathan said sarcastically.

"Yeah you're right, never mind... Anyway you have to support her, she's gonna need you more than ever. Promise me you won't be mad at her and you'll talk to her."

"Haley!" He sighed.

"Promise me." She insisted.

"Okay I'll talk to her." Nathan agreed.

"Besides, if I can help in any way..." Haley said to him as he instantly smirked.

"Well since you've mentioned it... I've already had something in my mind." He grinned.

He gently took her by the waist and directly attacked her neck. Haley couldn't help the soft moan that escaped from her mouth. Her pulse point was one of her most sensitive spots, which Nathan seemed to have learned extremely quickly. She desperately tried to regain her composure as Nathan's mouth continued to suck harder on the considerable spot.

"I mean what can I do to help Brooke." She managed to rectify with difficulty.

"I... really... appreciate... your... concern... for my... sister... but... I really... don't want... to talk... about her now." He said as he kissed her neck and her cleavage between each word.

Nathan moved his mouth up towards her ear, gripping her earlobe between his teeth and tugging on it slightly.

"Please!" He whispered in her ear.

"I can't do this." She said as she pushed him away.

"Sure you can, we've already done it several times, remember?"Nathan replied with his all too infamous smirk.

"I know, I just can't do this right now." Haley insisted.

"Don't do this Hales! I said that I was sorry and that I shouldn't have asked you. I'm a fucking idiot, now can you please forgive me?" Nathan apologized again.

"It's not that." Haley replied. "So what is it beautiful?" Nathan asked as he took her face in his hands.

Haley suddenly got weak in her knees. She found it incredibly difficult to say no to him when he talked to her like that.

"It's that it's almost 2 pm and I've got a meeting with the mayor in half an hour. I have to go now." She said laughing.

"You are evil!" Nathan complained.

"You know you're very cute when you're insecure." She mocked him.

"I wasn't insecure, besides I don't want to be cute." He pouted.

"That too bad because you are." Haley replied with a smile.

She kissed his nose and left him in the kitchen before she went to the lounge to take her handbag and her laptop.

"Oh come on! I'll be very quick, you won't even realize that we made it!" He begged her as he followed her.

"Wow! Now I'm really turned on." She teased him. "You do realize what you just said, right?" She laughed out loud.

"You know what I meant. Please! You won't regret it." Nathan pleaded.

"Tempting but again I really can't Nathan, but I could drop in this evening after work." She suggested.

"I guess you could." He sighed. "But tell your boss that I fucking can't stand him. As if his political views weren't bad enough, he cockblocks me in the process." He complained.

"I won't tell him that!" Haley replied.

Nathan approached her and he started to massage her back before he turned her around and captured her lips hungrily.

"Alright I'm out!" She said as she pushed him away again.

"I really hate that guy!" Nathan yelled as he watched Haley walk out of her house.

* * *

><p>Nathan was in his office when Peyton came in. He talked to her at the bare minimum which made the atmosphere unlivable.<p>

"So the shooting with Grace and Brooke is booked Friday afternoon in 3 weeks, it was the only day when Jean-Paul Goude was available. We also have another problem..."

''What again? If he wants a bigger fee, I said that we can't, we already spent 90% of the cosmetic department's budget and we're only in October." Nathan said, not looking up from his work.

"It's not that. He can't come here because he has a shooting that morning in London." She explained as Nathan sighed.

"So you're trying to tell me that the shooting's gonna be in London." Nathan said.

"Pretty much." Peyton answered.

"Great!" He said sarcastically. "I knew that it wasn't a good idea for Grace to do this."

"It'll be okay. She'll have a lot of fun with her 'auntie B'. And I think Brooke could use a break you know, with all this stuff going on in her life." Peyton pointed out.

"What about Gracie's sessions? And you do remember that Brooke has a job right?" Nathan reminded her.

"We'll find a solution. Maybe Julian could go with them, like when you were in Hong-Kong last year. And seriously I don't get why Brooke still works for this bitch. She could easily do almost the same job here since the group bought back _Harper's Bazaar. _Even better she'd be the boss." Peyton said.

"You know it's more complicated. She's still haunted by our father ghost. And I can't blame her." Nathan explained.

"Yeah." She said as she was thinking. "And there is something else..." Peyton hesitated.

"What is it this time?" Nathan groaned.

"I reserved a table at Masa. You have a business dinner with Mr. Yamagata and his wife tomorrow, bring a date!" She said with a fake smile.

"And I know about this just now? God Peyton!" Nathan yelled, frustrated.

"Gee! I told you two weeks ago, besides, since you have a girlfriend it should be easier."

"Yeah whatever you say." Nathan grumbled as Peyton sighed before walking out.

Peyton closed the door behind her and rolled her eyes. Nathan was acting so immature about this whole situation. Why couldn't be there for his sister like the rest of her friends? But she knew Nate would never come to his senses until he knew the truth. This time, she wouldn't be the one to spill it out.

* * *

><p>It was getting late and Haley was still at work and she knew that she couldn't leave anytime soon. She grabbed her phone and dialed Nathan's number.<p>

"Hey! It's me." Haley said as he answered.

"Hey beautiful! I'm waiting for you." Nathan replied.

"That's the thing, I'm going to be late, I have a ton of work but I'll bring the dessert, deal?" Haley asked.

"As long as you bring your gorgeous self, you have a deal!" He teased her.

"Damn you're good! Okay see you later." She replied smiling at herself and hung up the phone.

Nathan was in a good mood so he decided to speak with Brooke like Haley had advised him. He knew she was working in her office, the door was half-open, he decided to come in.

"Hey!" He said softly.

"You're talking to me right now? Oh my god! The Lord Nathan is speaking to his subjects. What a honor!" Brooke said sarcastically, her hand over her heart.

"Yeah I've decided that once in a month I'd make an effort and speak to the populace." Nathan said snarkily.

"You better. You know Marie-Antoinette had been beheaded because she was misunderstood." She joked and sighed "...Communication is everything." She said as she was continuing to work.

"Brooke..." Nathan trailed off.

"What?" Brooke asked.

"For all these years, you were here for me..." Nathan started to say.

"Nate..." Brooke interrupted him.

"No let me finish... You were here for me, my life was falling apart and you; like you always have been, were right besides me." He paused. "I was in such a dark place and you helped me to pull myself together. You put all your life on hold for us and I could never have made it without you." He paused again trying to find the good words. "I guess that what I'm trying to say is thank you."

"Nate." She tried to stop him.

"I always thought that I'd never find a way to show you how much grateful I am, and try to give back to you in that regard, but this is it! This is my chance to give you back what you gave me. Brooke... if you keep this baby I'll be there for you two, like you were for me and Gracie." Nathan told her.

"Nate, I owe you everything! You basically raised me, you're the only one who never let me down. We stick together no matter what, remember?" She said as tears rolled down her face and Nathan held her tight. Brooke squeezed her eyes shut, letting her mind trail to the past.

**_FLASHBACK_**

_It was a Monday, as if Mondays wasn't sad enough already. The Scott's mansion was crowded as the 7 year old Brooke was crying alone in her room. She was interrupted by a knock on her door._

"_Come in!" She said as she was drying her eyes while Nathan entered._

_"Everybody's asking for you." He said and she just nodded before she burst into tears again._

_"I want my mummy. Who's going to read my story before I go to bed." Brooke whined._

_"I will." Nathan simply replied. "But I want mummy!" Brooke pouted._

_"She's gone, she won't come back, okay? Ever!" Nathan told her, he knew that it sounded harsh, but she had to realize that their mother was gone for good._

_"But Father scares me." She sobbed._

_Nathan sat down next to her and he took her hand without looking at her._

"_Remember what mummy says..."_

_"There isn't a single thing strong enough in this whole world that we can't overcome if the two of us stick together." She quoted her mother.__  
><em>

_"Mummy is in heaven now but we're gonna listen to her and stick together no matter what." Nathan promised._

**_END OF THE FLASHBACK_**

* * *

><p>Nathan let Brooke work as he went to the kitchen to cook dinner. He was lost in his thoughts. He can't believe how great his life was lately, well besides the fact that the father of his sister's child was a prick. He was smiling blissfully when Grace interrupted him.<p>

"Hey Buttercup! Where's Kelly?" Nathan asked.

"She's running me a bath." Grace answered.

"Okay tell her to be quick because I'm cooking." Nathan told her.

"So Haley comes here tonight, doesn't she?" Grace asked.

"No, not at all. Why do you say that?" He lied.

"Because you smiled like a dork." She giggled.

"First of all I'm not smiling like a dork. Second of all can't a father be happy to spend some time with his little girl?" Nathan said.

"Now you're trying to find a lame excuse." She said sounding like an adult.

"You're too smart." Nathan said.

"I know you want to protect me but it's okay. Haley's cool." Grace said genuinely.

"Yeah she's a pretty cool girl. But you know you always come first, I'll always protect you because I love you, you will always be my favorite girl!" Nathan told before snapping his mouth shut. Suddenly, everything came together.

**_FLASHBACK_**

"_Wow! I just can't believe this. Did she tell the guy?"_

_"I'm pretty sure he dumped her when she told him."_

_"I really doubt that. I mean, I'm sure that if he knew he'd help her."_

_"Why do you defend him? Why do you protect him?"_

_"I'm not defending him. I just said that I can't imagine a man who wouldn't care about his own child."_

**_END OF THE FLASHBACK_**

"Son of a bitch!" Nathan cursed as he immediately grabbed his car key in the foyer.

"Daddy! Language!" Grace yelled at Nathan who entered in the elevator.

Everything made sense, Haley didn't tell him because she cared about the guy. Nathan couldn't believe it, all this time his sister lied to his face. Why did she have to sleep with him? And why did he have to be in Haley's life? And Peyton and Clay, they knew how fragile Brooke could be, they should have told him. He suddenly felt sick. It was the worst case scenario, How could this be happening? And Brooke… how she could be so stupid? She knew exactly what kind of guy he was, she had already been there, plus it's not like he didn't warn her about him several times. Nathan started up his car, letting a million of thoughts cross his mind. _'This time I'm gonna kill him.' _He thought.

* * *

><p>Lucas was alone in his room, drowning his gloom into a bottle of scotch. He put some record of The National on since he thought that he'd be finally productive and could write a few words. But nothing came. He didn't write something worthy for a whole week. He lit a cigarette and tried harder but still nothing. He couldn't concentrate because of Brooke. He threw his laptop against the wall in frustration.<p>

"Fuck!" He yelled as he went to see the extent of damages that he just had done. "This is ridiculous. I have to do something." He spoke to himself.

She was ruining his life and it was seriously getting out of hand. He had to see her so he decided to go to her place. He knew he was drunk and that the possibility to say something dumb was really high but at this point everything would be better than feeling this.

* * *

><p><strong>Don't forget to review the chapter I promise I'll reply to you and please if you can answer my question about Clay that would be great!<strong>


	12. Chapter 11

**Hello guys! Thank you for the reviews you're very motivating just keep it up! and also the ones who took the time to reply to my little question.  
><em>Denise : <em>I'm glad that like the brathan scene it was actually one my favorite to write!  
><em>Aure :<em> It's great that like naley and brathan as for Luke and Nate you're gonna have some answers in that chapter.  
><em>Nomie :<em> I know Nathan is really introvert, you know he has a lot to deal with but it gets better since he's with Haley. That's funny everyone is worried about Lucas because Nate's gonna freak out, you'll see!  
><em>Sacha :<em> So happy you liked brathan as well, lol Luke is a big boy he can defend himself!  
><em>Allison :<em> Yeah Naley's doing well, and Nate is clearly invested and make some efforts to open up. You'll see in this chapter, it's gonna be hectic!**

**That's all. Good reading!**

* * *

><p>Nathan was in front of the door waiting for him to open it. He didn't even remember how he managed to arrive here. It was anger that was guiding him. He felt hatred for him on a whole new level. A few seconds later the door finally opened. He didn't even speak or let him talk, he just punched him straight in his face instead.<p>

"What the fuck is it this time?" He asked laughing as he was wiping his bloody lip.

"You know why I'm here so cut the crap!" Nathan replied.

"I don't know man! It could be the fucking apocalypse and you would think it would still be all on me!" He argued.

"That's because you're the fucking devil's son himself! Anyway, stay away from my sister. Don't touch her again or God help m..." Nathan threatened before he cut him off.

"So it's about Brooke." He pondered.

"I'm gonna say it again stay the fuck away from her!" Nathan yelled.

"I don't know if I can do that, I mean have you seen her? She's so... I don't know... fucking hot! I could fuck her for the rest of my life." He smirked.

Nathan charged into him screaming. Nathan's head hit his stomach. His head hit the wall and then fell to the floor. He tried to get up but Nathan punched him again and again. Nathan had a freaky look on his face as he grabbed him around the throat and sat him up.

"You're killing me." He managed to say as Nathan had his hands tightened around his throat.

Nathan's mind went blank. All he could think was to kill him. The son of a bitch had hurt his little sister again. She was a freaking mess and it was all because of him. He hated him! God, he hated him so much. He just wanted him dead.  
>But then he thought about all the ones who needed him. Gracie, whose mother was already gone. What would she do if her father was locked up on top of that? And also Brooke, she needed him more than ever now she's going to have her baby. And then Haley, he didn't know why and from what yet, but he had this strong feeling that he had to save her. He couldn't blow it, too many people were counting on him. So slowly he let go and he got up. They were catching their breaths when Nathan was about to leave.<p>

"It's fair enough, you have Haley and I have your lovely sister. Now I can do whatever I'm fucking pleased with her." He said with a smirk as Nathan punched him for the last time.

"You're a fucking waste of space, just garbage. You don't deserve my attention or my sister's. Just fuck off!" Nathan said before storming out.

* * *

><p>Lucas was walking on the Fifth avenue, heading for the Scott's penthouse. He was thinking about the mess that was this evening and how miserable his life became. Then he shook his head to focus on what he could tell to Brooke so she could forgive him. He finally arrived at the 834th and entered in the hall. Oddly enough, there wasn't anyone, so he made the most of the opportunity to come in the elevator knowing that Brooke probably told to the doorman to not let him in. <em>'Brooke I was just afraid, I'm a fucking moron, I really love you, I'm in love with you, I want you, all of you. I can't live without you. Could you <em>_please just forgive me so we could be finally happy together? Come on Lucas you're a writer, you could do better.' _He trained to say as he repeated the phrase over and over.

When the doors opened he could hear Nathan yelling at Brooke upstairs. Lucas decided to stay in the foyer until he calmed down. Nathan made perfectly clear that he didn't want him with his sister. He could hear all he was saying though.

"I just can't believe you. Are you out of your fucking mind?" Nathan yelled.

"And here we are! I knew that you couldn't help to lecture me. So your little sweet speech earlier was all a lie!" She yelled louder.

"No I told you that I'll be there for you and I swear I will. But that's not the point."

"What is it?" She asked him.

"I just know Brooke. And seriously I just can't get over it. I warned you about him. I mean why on earth..." He said as he was looking right into her eyes with such disappointment.

"Please Nate I'm gonna explain..." Brooke started to say before being cut off.

"Explain what? How a smart girl like you can be so stupid!" Nathan yelled.

"Jeez! It's not that bad, just calm the fuck down." Brooke shouted.

"Are you fucking kidding me? Brooke it couldn't be worse! After all he has done, you slept with this piece of shit?!" Nate asked.

"Okay now that's ridiculous! I know you don't like him but still he isn't that bad!" Brooke argued, trying to defend Lucas.

"Have you hit your head and forgot to inform me that you lost your memory?" Nathan asked her rhetorically.

"Not that I can remember." She said sarcastically before she began to go down the stairs as Nathan was following her.

"Don't be a smartass! And don't fucking walk away from me! You just slept with Damien fucking West! The guy who cheating on you countless times, who abused Peyton and almost raped her, who tried to take our company away from us, and do whatever the hell he did to Haley. So how..." Nathan ranted before his eyes laid on Lucas.

"Lucas..." Brooke said in shock, knowing he heard the whole conversation.

"Lucas, what are you doing here?" Nathan added.

Lucas suddenly felt sick and the fact that he was drunk didn't help. He could feel his own heart break. Life was really twisted sometimes. It had taken 26 long years for him to finally fall in love, but only a few seconds to have his heart broken.  
>Brooke didn't know how her brother came to the conclusion that she slept with Damien West. Just the idea to be with him sickened her. She thought about telling the whole truth, telling Nathan she was dating Lucas the past two months, and telling Lucas that she was pregnant with his baby, but she didn't say anything. He didn't love her anyway and Nathan would kill him.<p>

"I tried to call Haley but she don't pick up her phone. I have something important to discuss with her and I thought she would be here." Lucas lied.

"I'm sorry she's still at work but you can stay here until she arrives if you want." Nathan proposed to him trying to respect his new resolution.

"No, thank you. I shouldn't have come." He said as he was looking into Brooke's eyes.

"You sure you're gonna be okay?" Nathan insisted. He couldn't shake the feeling that there was something off.

"Yeah just forget it!" Lucas said before he dissapeared behind the elevator doors.

"Holy awkward!" Nathan said as they went to the lounge and sat on the sofa.

"Thanks to you genius! We really need to stop yelling like this! At least when it's about my private life." Brooke replied.

"We're Scotts, drama is in our DNA." Nathan simply said.

"I'm tired of being a Scott!" Brooke complained.

"Brooke you know we're in a trap don't you? There is no way West will let you get away with this." Nathan told her.

Brooke was thinking about telling the truth again but she knew that nothing good could come out of it so she decided to let him believe she slept with Damien West.

"He doesn't know." She lied as he sighed.

"Good! He can't know Brooke, ever! Okay?" He commanded as she nodded. "You know he'd mess your baby's life up, like everything he touch. Anyway I told him to stay away from you."

"What?! You talked to him?" She asked in disbelief. The situation was getting more twisted as the days went on.

"More like beat the crap out of him." Nathan confessed.

"Damn it Nate!" Brooke shouted.

"What did you expect? I told him a few weeks ago to leave you alone and apparently he didn't listen. I just wanted to be sure that this time he'd get it." Nathan explained himself.

"I can believe you already spoke to him." Brooke trailed off.

"He came here Brooke! And he had the nerve to threaten me about Haley, and then you, and how our dear father would be pleased to see you both married." Nathan told her.

"Of course he did! That son of a bitch is worse than the plague." She said angrily.

"I wish you figure it out before you slept with him." Nathan sighed.

"Give me a break!" She said as she hit his arm with a cushion.

Nathan knew that he couldn't be angry with her any longer. She was pregnant, she needed support and love from her family and friends. He hated the situation, though it was done. Now he knew they had to keep this secret.

Brooke was surrounded by the guilt. She didn't like to lie, especially to Nathan. She thought it was better this way, and yet he proved on many occasions that he'd always support her no matter what, even if he went mad at first.

"Hey! It will be okay. Trust me, a baby is always good news." He tried to reassure her as she nodded.

"I'm tired. Say hi to Haley for me." Brooke told him as she got off the couch.

"Okay. Goodnight." Nathan said as he stood up to give his little sister a hug.

"I love you brother." She said as he held her.

"I love you too." He responded before she got up and went up the stairs.

* * *

><p>Lucas slammed the front door behind him so hard that a frame fell on the floor.<p>

"Jesus Christ!" Jake shouted after he jumped.

"The one and only!" Lucas said snarkily as he was staggering.

"Are you drunk?" Jake asked, concerned.

"Not enough!" He replied grabbing a bottle of scotch from the bar.

"What happened?" Jake asked.

"I made the mistake to fall in love and now it fucking hurts!" He said as he was drinking like a fish.

"Just tell her how you feel, she'll come around!" Jake advised him.

"She slept with this asshole, Haley's ex boyfriend." Lucas said, taking another swig from the bottle.

"I'm sorry." Jake simply replied.

He was confused in regard of what he already knew and this new information. Who the hell was the father of Brooke's baby?

"And why does Haley have to date her brother? So now I have to see her constantly." He said bitterly.

"I know but Haley seems to finally be happy, so don't it fuck up!" Jake argued.

"Oh please! He's a creep, and if you don't see it, you're fucking stupid!" Lucas argued back.

"Okay you're drunk and you're heartbroken so I'm afraid that the next conversation will be pointless but I'm gonna say it anyway." Jake paused. "You weren't there when she was with the other asshole. I don't know what it was but there was something really off, it wasn't just the whole usual broken heart thing, it was more. He crushed her Luke! And I know you don't like Nathan but he seems to genuinely like Haley, so get over yourself and leave them the fuck alone!" Jake told him.

They stayed silent for a moment until Lucas broke the silence.

"How do you kill a feeling?" Lucas asked silently.

"I don't know but tell me if you find out." Jake replied with a sigh.

"Trouble in paradise?" Lucas asked.

"I don't know yet." Jake hesitated as he sighed again.

"What is this fucking mess with love? How is that even possible that it drives us so crazy? Can you imagine the time we're pondering on it? When you're alone, you wonder if you'll ever find someone. When you have someone, is she the one? Do I really love her and does she love me as much as I love her? Can you love several people in one lifetime? Why do we break up? Can we escape when you feel things start to really suck? All these shitty questions we're wondering all the time! And yet we're prepared since the beginning, we read love stories! We watch romantic flicks and all that crap! Love, love, love!" Lucas launched into a tirade.

Lucas finally calmed down as Jake stared at him in amazement. As drunk as Lucas was, he made some sense. Things with Peyton have been pretty rocky lately and those questions have been running through his mind. Lucas noticed that Jake looked distracted, so he decided to dig deeper into his friends mess.

"O-kay! What's going on Mister Romance? Spill it out!" Lucas asked as he was laughing.

"No offense but you're like the last person I'd ask for advice about relationship besides you're drunk." He refused.

"Oh come on! Put me out of my misery! I'm a better listener when I'm drunk anyway. Please I'm begging you. Humor me!" Lucas pleaded.

Jake helped himself a drink trying to collect his thoughts.

"Peyton doesn't want to have kids... at all!" He finally said.

"So? You don't even like kids. And by the way, don't you think it's a little early to talk about babies? Plus you love that girl and apparently she loves you back, why can't you just be happy about it?" Lucas told him.

"Wow! You should drink more often." Jake joked.

"I know right! Alcohol make me..." Lucas was at a loss for words.

"Decent?" Jake mocked him.

"I was going to say wiser but I guess your choice of adjective works as well." He said as he was laughing.

Then suddenly Lucas was paralyzed, as if cold water was surrounding him, overwhelmed by sadness and the pain in his heart. He knew it wasn't going to be easy to get over her, worse he wasn't sure he could. And this thought was scaring him to death.

* * *

><p>It was almost midnight when Haley finally arrived to the Scott's penthouse. She found Nathan asleep on the sofa, the TV still turned on. She smiled at the sight and kissed his forehead. Then she headed for the kitchen in order to put the strawberry charlotte that she brought in the fridge. When she arrived in the kitchen, she was surprised to find that the table was set.<p>

"Hey beautiful." Nathan said with a sleepy voice embracing her from behind before he kissed her on the neck as she was standing in front of the open fridge.

"Hey. I'm sorry for being so late." Haley apologized.

"You actually miss all the drama in its usual Scott fashion." Nathan sighed.

"Oh Lord! What happened this time?" She said as she turned around to face him.

"I just found out who was the father of my sister's baby." Nathan told her.

"Yeah?" She asked carefully.

"And it couldn't be worse." Nathan said, his eyes narrowing.

"Okay I know you want to protect your sister and all, but he's not that bad, he's one of the best actually. Brooke would be lucky to have him." Haley defended his best friend.

"I know you have a past together, and I can't erase that, but come on! Damien West? A good guy? In the fifth dimension maybe, but not in this world." Nathan ranted as Haley's eyes grew wide in shock.

"Damien? No, no, no, no, no! It can't be true. Did Brooke really tell you that the father of her baby was Damien West?" Haley asked utterly confused.

"Unfortunately yes, plus West doesn't want to let her go, seriously I hate this guy." Nathan replied.

"I'm really confused..." Haley trailed off.

"I thought Brooke told you everything." Nathan said.

"Apparently she lied to me, I think she lied to everyone. She was with someone else." Haley pointed out.

"Wait what? Who?" Nathan asked.

"Does it really matter now? She's pregnant with Damien's baby." She was disappointed.

"I guess not." Nathan replied.

"So tell me everything, how did you figure it out?" Haley asked.

"Well I was thinking about our conversation this afternoon, and how you defended the guy, it was obvious that you cared about him, after that, it wasn't that hard to guess." Nathan explained.

Haley wanted to deny everything. That she didn't care about Damien West but it was a lie. She still had an unhealthy bond with him. As if she liked to hurt herself. She always came back to him and every time he screwed everything up included herself. So she didn't say anything to contradict him.  
>Nathan knew that she still had feelings for him but having the confirmation truly hurt him. Though to give up on her wasn't a possibility. He was going to fight for her, he just had to.<p>

"So I went to his place. I told him to stay away from Brooke and he pretty much told me that he'd continue to see her as long as I see you. Then I confronted Brooke and she told me everything and that thank God he didn't know that she was pregnant." Nathan continued.

"Wow! I'm sorry." Haley said.

"Why? It's not your fault, West was in our life way before we met you." Nathan told her.

"Yeah of course. It's just that I know Damien and there is no chance in hell that he'll leave her alone now that she's pregnant with his child. It's gonna be a nightmare for her, trust me." Haley played along.

"Oh I know that, he's ruining our lives for 20 years now. This guy is just bad news. That's why I'm gonna make sure that he'll never know." Nathan explained.

"How? You all live in the same city." Haley pointed out.

"He'll never know. Period." Nathan said coldly.

"Okay." She replied awkwardly.

"So are you hungry?" He said after a few seconds of silence wanting to change of subject.

"Sure." She lied as she was forcing a smile.

Actually the whole story had spoiled her appetite. The fact that Brooke had cheated on his best friend meant Lucas would probably be devastated. And on top of that, she was jealous of Brooke while she was with her brother and that she was really aware that Nathan was better for her and that she could fall hard for him, well if she'd allow herself. She knew that they could be awesome together, nothing compare to the debacle that was her relationship with Damien West. She was stuck, she just couldn't open her heart, not because she was afraid to get hurt. She was used to it and in a weird way it was like she even liked it. No, it was because she thought that she didn't deserve happiness. But the real question was why? Why a gorgeous, kind and intelligent woman like Haley James thought that she deserved nobody but a trash like Damien West?

"So did you tell to your boss that I hate him to keep you away from me?" Nathan joke as he pulled the chair for Haley.

"It'd break his heart. You know we tried to contact you during the last election campaign, we were hoping that you could support us." Haley confessed as she sat down.

"Yeah I know! We joked about that for weeks with Peyton. I'm really sorry for the one who called though, Peyton had a lot of fun that day." Nathan said with a smile.

"You. are. mean." Haley pouted.

"Sorry I know that my father supported them publicly but I don't do politics, especially republicans." Nathan said.

"And yet you're doing me." She teased him.

"Let's say that you are the exception which proves the rule." He responded while filling her plate.

"Thank you! It looks delicious." Haley said.

They had a good time. They ate, spoke about some college anecdotes, Haley laughed so much. They had almost forgot all the drama. Haley cleaned up her plate and set it down in the sink. She looked at her phone, realizing she would have to leave soon.

"Alright! It was really good but I have to go." Haley said.

"Spend the night here! Don't leave, it's getting really late well more like really early. Just spend the night here with me." He asked her.

"I don't know if it's a great idea. Gracie is here, I think it'd disturb her." She hesitated.

"I appreciate your concern, but it's my girl, that's my job to worry about her and trust me I worry more than I should. I said that you could stay here. Plus Gracie think that you're cool." Nathan explained.

"Aww! She thinks I'm cool? Nobody thinks I'm cool." Haley gasped.

"That's because you're not." Nathan mocked her as she hit his arm.

"Ouch! What is it with you women? First Brooke and now you!" Nathan complained.

"That's because you're a jerk!"

This night Haley fell asleep in Nathan's arms instantly. She forgot about Brooke's drama momentarily and took in Nathan's scent. He always knew how to calm her down when things were going rough. But was Brooke lying to Nathan so he didn't have to know about her and Lucas? Or was Brooke lying to Haley for her benefit?

* * *

><p><strong>I know I'm a twisted little bitch! But tell me what you think about it! Naley, Brathan, Jake and Luke, and of course the little twist!<strong>


	13. Chapter 12

**Hey guys! I'm so sorry for the long wait! I just move in to campus and the connexion didn't work plus med school is totally cra-zay!  
>Also thank you for the feedbacks, it's really interesting to know what you think and it's helping with the plot. So keep reviewing! What can i say? I'm a review junky!<strong>

**_Guest_ : I'm so sorry for the torture with brucas but have faith! It's going to be okay!  
><em>Denise<em> : I know fucking Damien West! No you see in that chapter that someone else know about the whole brooke pregnancy mess thing.  
><em>Makeawish<em> : First of all welcome! We all love brucas and naley, don't we? Also i'm glad you like brathan, i think there was a lack of brathan on oth so i'm trying to rectify that. For the lack of alley i'm working on it! I hate damien west as well, but i really love to hate him!  
><em>Nomie<em> : lol i know it was really confusing! Yeah Nate is a great brother! he's just over protective but he has his reasons. Plus you're right damien west didn't help here.  
><em>Allison<em> : Yeah it's a big mess! Jeyton's going to have their issues later. They don't have the same expectations in life but they will work on that.  
><em>Sacha<em> : I know Lucas is miserable right now but it'll get better pretty soon!  
><strong>

**Okay I'm done, here's the real deal! Good reading!**

* * *

><p>Like every morning these past two weeks a sweet melody woke Haley from her sleep. She smiled for a few seconds, her eyes still closed. Then she got up and went to the windows to open the shutters. Light flooded the room as Haley headed for the bedside table where she knew Nathan left his usual morning note that she looked forward to read. She took the post-it while butterflies invaded her stomach.<p>

_Seeing how beautiful you were this morning_

_I was thinking I should write a poem about you_

_But I'm not good with words_

_Something which last forever, maybe a symphony_

_Yeah one day I'm definitely gonna write you a symphony_

She briefly thought about how it could sound before she shook her head. She put it down and looked at the photo of Nathan, Victoire and baby Grace. She wore her slippers and went to open the french window, then she sat on the bench in the middle of the hanging garden. This place was incredible, a beautiful and colorful landscape garden with some trees with its little purple flowers, a water fountain and even an aviary... It made you totally forget that you were right in the middle of the city.  
>Sometimes she laid on the grass working on her macbook while Grace was desperately trying to find a four-leaf clover. Some tweets snapped her out of her sweet reverie. So she came in and still could hear the piano. She went down the stairs, then walked towards the library where she found Grace and Nathan both playing at the piano.<p>

"So you need your five year old daughter to help you write it." Haley mocked Nathan.

"I wish. Actually it's a Debussy's masterpiece, it's called The Suite Bergamasque." Nathan rectified.

"It's beautiful." Haley replied with a smile.

"Mornin' Haley!" Grace said with a cheerful voice before she ran up to Haley for a big hug.

"Mornin' Sweetie!" Haley replied as she held her tight.

"I'm starting to get jealous." Nathan complained.

"Oh daddy you know I love you too but Haley is my person." Grace informed Nathan.

"Yep she's my person." Haley confirmed.

"You two are breaking my heart!" Nathan overplayed as he put his hand on his chest.

"You're so silly daddy." Grace giggled.

"Oh I'm silly, huh?" Nathan said as he approached his daughter dangerously.

"No! No you are absolutely not silly!" She retracted knowing too well what he was about to do.

"Nice try but too late Buttercup!" He said before he jumped on her and tickled her.

"Please daddy stop!" She managed to say as she was laughing and wiggling.

Haley intervened trying to help Grace. The two had grown closer lately since Haley almost lived at their place. She had stayed for the night about two weeks ago and had never left. She even brought Grace at her appointment once. Grace knew how upsetting this could be so she had taken advantage of the situation and pestered Haley to come to London for shooting the advertising. She eventually gave in thinking that a week of vacation couldn't hurt, even if she wasn't really comfortable with Brooke since she was pregnant with her ex-boyfriend's baby. Nathan couldn't go because he had an important meeting this week. Grace said that it would be a fun girl trip, but not really because Julian her physiotherapist is going to come as well.

"You're gonna regret this Beautiful!" He smirked as he grabbed her and tickled her too.

"This is so unfair. You're too strong for us."

"Auntie B. help!" Grace screamed.

Nathan continued to tickle both of them. It wasn't really hard for him to control them.

"What's going on here?" Brooke arrived a few seconds later.

"Help!" Grace screamed again.

"Leave my beautiful niece alone, Vanilla Ice!" She asked her brother emphazing on the last words to catch his attention before she burst into laughter.

The three of them stopped instantly. Grace looked at his father quizzically knowing the story behind his nickname while Haley didn't understand anything.

"Vanilla Ice?" Haley said looking at Brooke.

"Ice. Ice. Baby..." Brooke sang mocking her brother.

"You are so dead!" Nathan threatened Brooke before he chased her.

Brooke rushed towards the foyer to go up the stairs and before Nathan could catch her, she locked herself in her bedroom. Nathan knocked fervently on her door.

"You know eventually you'll have to came out." He said leaning on the door.

"Not gonna happen." Brooke yelled through the door.

"Oh that's too bad because apparently they just finished a photo shoot for the Harper's Bazaar next release, and I was thinking maybe you could stop by and pick some clothes before everyone. All these clothes for the next collections, Marc Jacobs, Oscar de la Renta, Channel, Chloé... I even see this bag that you wanted so badly and that you couldn't find anywhere, the Hermès one if I remem..." Nathan teased Brooke before she cut him off.

"Wait the Kelly bag by Hermès?" Brooke couldn't help but ask.

"Yeah that's the one! See? Oh come on! Brooke just get out of here." He tried to convince her.

"I'm not stupid Nate. If I open the door you're gonna catch me and tickle me." Brooke said.

"I swear I won't." He lied crossing his fingers.

"I don't believe you." She was stubborn.

"Have a little faith in me." Nathan pleaded.

"I don't think so, but I have something here that I'm sure lots of people would kill to watch. You know this little video of you performing Vanilla Ice could accidently be uploaded on Youtube." Brooke pointed out

"You wouldn't dare!"

"Try me!" Brooke replied.

"Wait a minute I thought that I destroyed it." Nathan said.

"I made a copy. I knew it could be useful." Brooke said proud of herself.

"Okay I don't tickle you and you don't post that horrible thing." Nathan said, hoping for a compromise.

"You have a deal." She agreed before she finally opened the door.

"Now give me the damn tape." Nathan demanded, holding out his hand.

"Dream on brother!Brooke told him before walking by him to the kitchen. Nathan groaned as he followed behind his sister. As much as he loved Brooke, she was a stubborn one to argue with.

* * *

><p>Brooke and Clay were at her obstetrician's practice in the waiting room.<p>

"Thanks for doing this with me. You're a good friend." Brooke said to Clay.

"Stop! It's not a big deal." Clay reassured her.

"Are you kidding? Because of me you have to lie to everyone, including your best friend." Brooke told him.

"Yeah about that, I still think it's a terrible idea. I mean what if Damien says to Nate that he's not the father? And I think that Lucas has the right to know." Clay said, trying to reason with her.

"Well think less!" Brooke hissed.

"Fine! Do whatever you want but when things get to be out of control, and trust me they will, don't say I didn't warn you." Clay said a little annoyed.

"Nobody will know but if my secret's out it'll be on me." Brooke told him.

Brooke started to tap her fingers on the arm rest, growing anxious. What if something was wrong with the baby? What if they needed the father to come in, not Clay? All these thoughts ran through her head and her tapping became faster. Clay slapped his hand down on hers and held it tight.

"Don't worry! I'm here. Everything's gonna be okay." Clay reassured her.

"What if it won't? What if I'll be a terrible mother? What was I thinking?" Brooke panicked.

"You're gonna be just fine. And we are all here to support you. This baby is so lucky." Clay told her.

Brooke thought that she could stop all this mess and tell everybody the truth especially to Lucas. She didn't want to be a single parent but then she thought that she didn't want him to be stuck in a loveless relationship just because he would feel responsible. If only she knew how miserable he was without her. After half an hour it was finally Brooke's turn. They walked into the office and both shook the doctor's hand before they sat at the desk.

"So I have some questions for you Miss Scott... First of all how old are you?" The doctor asked.

"23, actually almost 24." Brooke replied.

"Is it your first pregnancy?" The doctor asked.

Brooke glanced at Clay and sighed.

"No." She hesitantly murmured.

Seeing that the doctor wanted to know more and that Brooke wasn't comfortable, Clay took her hand to reassure her.

"I was only seventeen and I had an abortion." She confessed as the doctor was writing all down in her file.

"When was your last period?" The doctor asked, still writing in her file.

"About eight weeks ago." Brooke replied.

"Do you have a normal menstrual cycle? I mean is it regular?" The doctor clarified.

"Yes." Brooke answered, her face getting red.

"Any family pathology?" The doctor asked.

"My niece has a cystic fibrosis." She continued to reply has the doctor was still writing everything down.

"What about you, any family pathology?" The doctor turned to Clay.

"Oh! I'm just a friend." He said shaking his head.

"I'm sorry, I just assumed. So Miss Scott?" The doctor asked, re-directing his question to Brooke.

"I don't know." She sadly responded.

"Any drug allergies?" The doctor continued asking.

"Not that I know of." Brooke replied.

"Okay let's see if everything's okay and we're gonna set the conception date so we can find out the due date." The doctor said.

"Oh I have a question. I have to be in London by the end of this week. Is it safe?" Brooke asked.

"If the pregnancy is proceeding normally, I'll have no objections. So let's find out.'' The doctor told her.

Brooke gulped as she stood up to lie down on the bed in the office. Clay went over to the open side to grasp her hand. Brooke was being such a strong woman for what she's gone through. She thought she would be a terrible mother, but Clay knew otherwise.

* * *

><p>"Nate, West is here and he wants to see you." Peyton said over the phone.<p>

"Yeah and I want to be an astronaut, I guess we can't always get our way.'' Nathan said while he was on speaker.

"And I bet Brooke wants me in her bed. I can totally give her that!" Damien spoke loudly as he smirked.

"What do you want?" He asked coldly as he clutched his fists.

"I'm here for business." Damien replied.

Nathan sighed and hesitated for a few seconds before he speak over the phone again.

"Peyton let him come in." Nathan sighed.

"Nate!" She protested.

"Peyton it's okay." Nathan told her.

"See you later Blondie." Damien said with a grin.

"How about 5 minutes after hell has literally frozen." She said sarcastically with a big fake smile.

Damien smiled to her and finally came in to Nathan's office.

"He's like the human form of herpes. You think he's gone and then he's coming back." Nathan said pretending that Damien wasn't there.

"And you know what you're talking about, don't you?" Damien replied with a smile.

"Little reminder that you're the one who needed prostitutes to get laid." Nathan reminded him

"Your sister and your girlfriend were happy to help." Damien replied.

"Okay I don't have time for this shit, what do you fucking want?" Nathan snarled.

"I said I was here for business. I'm gonna make you rich." Damien informed him.

"You're like 3 generations late." Nathan scoffed.

"What's your price for the Giants?" Damien asked ignoring Nathan's comment.

"It's not to sell." Nathan replied.

"Everything has a price." Damien retorted.

"I don't want to sell the Giants and even if I wanted, I certainly wouldn't sell to you." Nathan replied.

"Maybe I should ask Brooke. If I remember right, she owns half of the group." Damien said.

"Don't. Push. Me." He said ready to pick a fight.

"Relax! It's just business." Damien replied, holding his hands up in front of him.

"Get the hell out of here!"

"Okay. Oh! And say hi to Haley... Now that I think about it, it's not necessary because I'm probably gonna see her. You see I'm a close friend of the Mayor." Damien said before he left.

Peyton came to see Nathan just after he left.

"Are you okay?" Peyton asked very concerned.

"You know I'm really trying with this all pregnancy thing. But God! Why on earth did she go back to him?" Nathan asked with dispair in his eyes.

"I don't know. It's nonsense." Peyton replied.

"She's never gonna be free. As soon as he's gonna know, he's never gonna let go of her." Nathan said with a sigh.

"I know. I know." She whispered.

"This is all my fault." Nathan said shaking his head.

"Brooke is a big girl, you can't protect her forever, especially from herself." Peyton reminded him.

"But I should have. I had to. It's just that after our father died, I thought that we were finally free and now..." Nathan started to explain.

"No." She tried to stop him.

"She's gonna come back to him and he's gonna treat her exactly like Dan treated Mum." Nathan said.

"You don't know that." Peyton said.

"Come on! He always have been obsessed with her in his most twisted way and soon enough Brooke's gonna buy all his crap and come back to him. He'll ruin her for good like everything else."

Peyton wanted to protest but she knew that what he was saying was true. It's not that Brooke was in love with Damien, she was just in love with love. She was living for romance and dreamed about epic love stories and if they let him, Damien was going to give her a perfect illusion before sending everything to hel  
>She thought that Lucas could have been good for Brooke. Maybe he liked a little too much women but he was nice with Brooke, he treated her right. In the end, it didn't work out. No one could change her ways but Brooke herself. She would have to be the one to break out of this bad habit called Damien West.<p>

* * *

><p>After her appointment Brooke and Clay were walking looking for a cab when they ran into Lucas.<p>

"What a small world we live in!" Clay said.

"Well, well, well! Me, Damien and now Clay! Wow and I'm the man whore!" Lucas harshly said.

"Don't talk to her like that." Clay commanded him.

"Yeah whatever." Lucas scoffed.

"Listen Lucas he was just..." Brooke started to say before Lucas punched Clay in the face.

"I didn't see that coming." Clay said as he was wiping his bloody nose.

"Are you out of your freaking mind?" Brooke yelled.

"That's what happens when you learn that your girlfriend was cheating on you, it's driving you crazy you know!" Lucas yelled.

"Puh-lease! You just wanted to have fun. You had your fun now just leave me alone!"

Lucas opened his mouth but nothing he could think about was the right thing to say.

"That's what I thought." Brooke said bitterly.

"I heard that you were pregnant, is it true?" He finally managed to say.

"Who told you that?" Brooke asked, her voice cracking.

"I heard a conversation between Jake and Peyton." Lucas admitted.

"Just when I thought that things couldn't be worse!" Brooke said, throwing her hands in the air.

"I want a paternity test!" He said as Brooke looked at him blankly.

"Clay we're leaving." She firmly said.

"This is not over Brooke." He called out as they were taking off.

"For God sake you are not the father!" Brooke shouted, trembling.

"We'll see about that." Lucas told before Brooke and Clay got out of earshot.

Brooke and Clay took a cab and gave the Group Scott's premises address to the taxi driver.

"Clay... at the appointment... about my..." She started to say when Clay cut her off.

"Sure! I won't tell to anyone." He promised to Brooke.

"Thank you." She relaxed. "You're the only one who knows." Brooke whispered.

Clay put his arm around Brooke as she settled into him. Clay's nose was throbbing with pain, but none of that mattered at the moment. Lucas had turned dangerous, and he had to keep Brooke away from him, at least for now. He cared about her so much, and he wouldn't let anything happen to her or her baby.

* * *

><p>When Brooke and Clay arrived at the Group Scott's premises, everyone congratulated her. She didn't understand what was really happening. This day was definitely weird. They got in Nathan's office when Nathan was making a phone call and he was trying to shorten the conversation because he looked forward to some news about Brooke's baby.<p>

"I'm sorry, it was important. So how is my nephew doing? Though I still don't understand why you didn't want me to come with you." Nathan said.

"Ew! You're my brother, I mean isn't it obvious? And we don't know if it's a boy or a girl yet." Brooke told him.

"Whatever, I already know. It's gonna be a boy. So are you okay, Is he okay?" Nathan asked very concerned.

"We are okay, everything is fine." Brooke replied as she was rolling her eyes.

"Are you sure you can go to London? Because I can cancel that." Nathan asked her.

"You wish!" Brooke exclaimed.

"We could call Jean-Paul G..." Nathan started to say before being cut off.

"It's out of the question! Plus if we wait any longer, Brooke's pregnancy's gonna be too obvious. I'm sorry Nate but Gracie and Brooke leave Sunday and it's not negociable!" Clay made it clear.

"Look at him, speaking like he was the big boss here." Nathan joked.

"Well someone has to be." Clay replied laughing.

Damien West came in the office un-nanounced without knocking on the door. Peyton had left earlier with Jake to have lunch, so there was no one to stop him.

"You're here again. I'm sorry but I can only handle one of your visits per day." Nathan told him.

"He was here before?" Brooke asked to her brother.

"I was on my way when I found this!" Damien said with a grin showing them on the last Ok! magazine.

Besides the news of Jennifer Anniston and Justin Theroux's wedding coming soon, it showed in big bold characters _'The very rich heiress Brooke Scott is pregnant with the successful businessman Damien West baby.' _there was also an old photo of them. They were all in shock.

"Why did you not tell me?" Damien asked, while Brooke went pale.

"Excuse me for a little while!" Brooke said as she was pulling Damien's arm and locked them in Peyton's office.

"Brooke open the damn door or I swear I'd smash it down!" Nathan said behind the door.

"I'm not sure Peyton would like us having sex in her office! Unless we wait for her." Damien joked.

"You're disgusting!" Brooke fumed.

"According to Ok! you find me quite appealing!" Damien smirked.

"About that, what the fuck are you doing?" Brooke whispered so Nathan couldn't listen.

"I'm trying to do you, Sweet thing!" He said as he grabbed her ass.

"Don't touch me!" Brooke thundered.

"Brooke open the fucking door!" Nathan continued to say devilizing the door handle.

"You know I'm not pregnant with your baby, we haven't slept together for ages!" Brooke reminded him.

"Yeah but I love to piss your brother off." Damien replied.

"You're unbelievable! I'm out of here." Brooke said, heading toward the door.

"Wait!" Damien held her back.

"What?"

"Who is the father?"

"I'm not going to tell you that." Brooke replied.

"Okay. Maybe I should tell to Nathan I'm not the father." He threatened her.

"Don't!" Brooke panicked.

"That's what I thought." Damien replied with a smile.

"Why do you want to know?" She asked.

"Actually I don't. But I want something else."

"What is it?"

"You." He simply replied.

"Never!" Brooke spat out.

"Okay I'm gonna find out the truth and I'll tell everything to your brother. You know I will!"

"You realize I'm pregnant with someone else's baby right?"

"Details! You're mine remember? Your father said so!'' Damien whispered in her ear.

"You're sick!"

Nathan finally managed to smash the door open. Clay brought Damien down to the ground.

"Don't ever come here again!" Clay yelled.

"I'm afraid I can't do that buddy because Brooke and I are trying make things work for the sake of the baby." Damien said to Clay.

"Brooke what the fuck? I can't let that happen..." Clay said knowing the truth.

"Clay I handle it." Brooke told him, narrowing her eyes.

"I don't give a single fuck if you and my sister are gonna have a baby. You're not welcome here." Nathan stated.

"Nate!" Brooke tried to stop him.

"Brooke you know I love you but this... I'll fight until the day I die. Did you forget all the bad things he did? Well I haven't forgot and I will be damned if I let him mess with our family again!"

"I don't want to mess with your family Scott, I just want to marry her. I mean it's the right thing to do." Damien said to Nathan as he smirked.

"What?!" Brooke exclaimed very surprised.

Nathan tried to jump on him but Clay held him back.

"I'm gonna kill you!" Nathan roared, he was infuriated.

"Calm down Nate! It's not gonna happen! I promise just calm down! This is not happening, alright!" Clay tried to quell Nathan's anger.

"That's okay. I'll leave. Brooke I'll call you later!" Damien said as he left.

Nathan, Brooke and Clay were left all staring at each other. Brooke came so close to having her lie busted. Clay was getting sick of lying about everything to everyone. And Nathan just wanted to punch West in the face.

* * *

><p>"Maybe I should come!" Nathan told his little girl as he helped her pack the last of her things.<p>

"No Daddy! It's a girl trip!" Grace protested as Julian coughed. "Except for Julian." She said as she was rolling her eyes.

It was already Sunday and Nathan accompanied Haley, Brooke, Grace and Julian to the airport. It was the first time Nathan was going to be separated from his daughter and he was very anxious about it.

"It's gonna be okay. She'll have her favorite aunt, her physiotherapist and I'm her person, remember? Nothing bad's gonna happen to her." Haley reassured Nathan before she kissed him.

"I know. It's just that I'm really really gonna miss you." Nathan admitted.

"It's just for a week." Haley said.

"Yeah about that… Brooke are you moving to London? I mean permanently?" He mocked her.

Brooke had to hire baggage handlers to carry all of her Louis Vuitton luggages. Haley was impressed but Nathan and Grace were used to it.

"Where is Peyton?" Brooke asked ignoring Nathan's comment.

"She's almost here." Nathan replied.

"I didn't know she was coming." Haley said.

"She just decided to come this morning." Nathan replied.

"Try not to kill each other while we're away." Brooke told her brother.

"I'm working on it, I've invited Jake to see Giants versus Redskins tomorrow evening. Lucas can even come if he wants." Nathan said as he was holding Haley tight.

"It's very generous of you but I don't think he'd want to come. I'm sorry." She said looking at Brooke awkwardly.

"You don't know my power of persuasion." He said before he smiled against her lips.

Even if Nathan wasn't really thrilled about spending some time with Lucas, he knew that it mattered for Haley. He just wanted to make her happy.

"You have to share her sometimes." Grace said to her father as she was grabbing Haley's hand.

"Okay but just with you." He said giving her a nose flick.

Peyton and Jake arrived 5 minutes later. He was carrying her valise.

"We're leaving just for a week Brooke." Peyton mocked Brooke as well.

"Cut me some slack!" Brooke shouted.

"And I am the kid here. Stop bickering! Time is up!" Grace informed them as she was looking at her watch.

"Wait! Since when you can tell the time?" Peyton asked.

"Daddy taught me." Grace replied with a smile.

"Your kid is way too smart." Peyton said.

"That's because it's my kid." Nathan replied.

"Yeah whatever!" Peyton replied, smacking Nathan in the arm.

Everyone said goodbye to each other, Nathan kissed Haley passionately while Jake whispered something in Peyton's ear which made her smile. That's when it really hit Grace. She's going to be separated from his father for the first time. Tears started to run down her face. She knew it was ridiculous, it was only for a week but she couldn't help it.

"Hey Buttercup! Don't cry, I'll call you every day!" He said as he was carrying her.

"Every day?" Grace asked between sobs.

"Every single day!" He promised.

Grace took Haley's hand and they all went away leaving Jake and Nathan at the airport. Nathan watched his little girl walk away while she kept looking back at him. He knew she was in good hands, but that didn't mean he wouldn't worry about her.

"Come on man, let's grab a few beers and chill, alright?" Jake offered.

Nathan finally turned around to walk back to the car. A beer was the first thing on his mind. With the girls leaving, Brooke's baby drama and work, he needed a way to unwind. Guy time was going to do just that.

* * *

><p><strong>So? Did you like it?<strong>

**Review please, I promise i'll answer all of your questions!**

**Next :**

**Guys time and Girls time in London!  
>Hot phone sex for Naley<br>Lucas's gonna come to his senses, what will be Brooke's reaction?**

**Thanks!**


	14. Chapter 13

**Thank you very much for staying with me and being patient, especially since my updates are not really scheduled. Also thanks for continuing to review my story and for the ones who doesn't, don't be shy.**

**As usual, here's a few words for the ones who don't have an account.  
><em>Allison <em>: I'm really sorry for making you ship BrookexClay, I have to admit that they're cute but it's always Brucas ftw! Damien wants a lot of things and the Giants it's one of them. Hope you're gonna love Naley phone call, it's pretty kinky!  
><em>Jojo89 <em>: Welcome! I'm glad you love Grace, she's like the kid that everyone would want. Brooke is not in her right mind let's see if it's going to change in this chapter.  
><em>Sacha <em>: Lol I see that everyone is mad at Brooke. Yeah Naley are fine for now. Oh I know what you mean Nate is like my dream guy. I can't kill Damien West off, I just love too much to hate him.  
><em>Denise <em>: Cross your fingers maybe it's going to come sooner than you think.  
><em>CJ <em>: I hate West passionately too.  
><em>Nomie <em>: Another one who is mad at Brooke ah ah! Yeah Clay is great, he's loyal to his friends.  
><em>Packers <em>: I don't know if Naley and Gracie are the perfect family yet.  
><em>Wallflower <em>: I'm not going to reveal what Damien West did to Haley yet, but there are some informations in this chapter.  
><em>Mimi <em>: I like angsty Brucas and sweet Naley as well.**

**So I've really liked to write this chapter, it's one of my favorite so I hope you're going to like it as well.  
><strong>

**THERE ARE SOME SEXUAL CONTENTS IN THIS CHAPTER. YOU'VE BEEN WARNED.**

**Good reading!**

* * *

><p>Jake got out of his bed, automatically slid on his slippers and went down the stairs eyes half closed and with messy hair wearing nothing but his boxer shorts. In the living room, he turned the TV on to VH1 where there was a rerun of the very famous Nirvana MTV unplugged. Kurt Cobain was singing <em>All Apologies<em> when he turned the sound right up hoping it could fully wake him up. Then he thought he needed some coffee so he headed for the kitchen when he stumbled over an empty vodka bottle and fell face downward on Lucas. Lately he had this bad habit of drinking himself to sleep, but he always managed to end up in his bed, at least until now.

"Jesus Christ Luke!" Jake shouted.

"What the fuck is happening? What are you doing half naked all over me?" Lucas asked as Jake tried to get up.

"What am I doing... You know I'd rather be half naked with a pretty girl, preferably one named Peyton. God I can't even deal with you right now!" He yelled infuriated.

"Of course it's easy for you! Your ex girlfriend that you still love isn't pregnant with a fucking asshole!" Lucas shouted.

"And I think it's pretty easy. You either move on or fight for her! But you have to figure it out and now because trust me nothing good can come out of this! It has to stop, alright?!" Jake tried to reason with Lucas.

"It's too late, she's pregnant with this Damien's guys baby." Lucas resigned himself.

"So what? You said it yourself, you love her!" Jake simply replied hoping Lucas would think about it.

In fact Lucas had already thought about it. Hell! It was all he was thinking about. How much easier it was when he felt nothing for anyone. How he could go to the airport before she left to London and get her, just kiss her without asking questions then tell her how much he was in love with her. But he couldn't because she was not his, she was with someone else and the more he thought about it the more he'd rather feel nothing, just to be numb.

* * *

><p>It was already 8 pm in London, the girls and Julian were playing to Pictionary in their huge and luxurious roof suite, the biggest and most expensive of the famous Duchester hotel in the central and commercial area of London, Mayfair. And if Brooke, Peyton and Grace were used to this kind of extravagance, it was really new for Haley and Julian. Their ways of being amazed with every little thing was really refreshing. It was the first time that they came to England and they were intent to go everywhere, even if Brooke was more interested in shopping.<br>Today they all visited Madame Tussauds and the day before it was the National Gallery.

"Alright Gracie! I don't want to kill the fun here, but we're already late!" Julian informed Grace that it was time to give medical care to her after that their team won the game.

"Do we really have to?" Grace tried to escape it as her smile was fading away.

"Grace! We've talked about this a countless times, you know we have to do this every day, I know it's hard but you just need it." He lectured her not too harshly, knowing she was just 5 year old after all.

"Come on Sweetie! Plus daddy will call you in about an hour." Brooke helped out Julian.

"Okay, I just wanted to try." She gave up as she pouted.

"I guess it's fair enough." Julian said before they isolated themselves next door.

"She's too cute for words." Haley said smiling.

"Yeah, she's a good kid." Brooke agreed.

"She's the best! If someone could guarantee me that my kid would be like this, I could almost consider having one." Peyton added.

"You don't want kids?" Haley asked, very surprised.

"I think that this world is pretty fucked up, that we're already crowded on this planet and that it would be pretty irresponsible to bring one more human being in this world. No offense Brooke!" Peyton said.

"None taken." Brooke replied.

"Plus I don't think I'd make a good mother. I'm not very patient." Peyton admitted.

"Wow! When you're gonna visit Jake's parents in two weeks whatever you say, don't ever tell his mother that. If you two tell her she won't have grandchildren, she'd have a heart attack, literally!" Haley warned Peyton.

"That's the thing, I think Jake want kids." Peyton confessed.

"Are you sure we're talking about Jake? Because he never seemed to like them." Haley said.

"I don't know." Peyton said with a shrug.

"What about you Haley? Will I have another niece or maybe a nephew one day?" Brooke asked.

"I've never really thought about it." She said as she turned the TV on, not wanting to dwell on the subject.

"What is this show?" Peyton asked shocked as she saw some teenagers gulping down a whole lot of different drugs.

"I don't know but this kids are pretty messed up." Haley noticed.

"Who cares? This guy is pretty hot! God bless guys with british accents!" Brooke exclaimed.

"For heaven sake Brooke he's like 17! And you're pregnant for that matter!" Peyton told Brooke.

"So what? I'm horny!" Brooke admitted.

They all burst into laughter. Brooke was so spontaneous, bubbly and funny, the opposite of Peyton and Haley. They continued to watch Skins and called room service and ordered TV-dinners for everyone. Soon enough Grace and Julian finished their session and joined them. Brooke flicked to a more appropriate channel for Grace's sake when Brooke's phone rang.

"Gracie! It's daddy." She said as she passed the phone to Grace.

"I wish you were there today Daddy! I took a picture with Beyoncé!" Grace gushed.

"I wish I were too, I love Beyoncé!" Nathan replied very amused.

"Who doesn't? She's amazing!" Grace said.

"So, did you tell her I was a fan?" He asked knowing that it actually wasn't the real Beyoncé.

"Daddy! I'm too old to be fooled like that. You know we didn't see Beyoncé for real, we were at the Madame Tussauds museum." She said annoyed.

"I forget sometimes that you're already 5, in my head you're my baby. Anyway, did you have your session yet? Did you take your antibiotics?" Nate asked.

"Of course! I promised and you always told me that when you say you're going to do something you just do it , because my word is everything." Grace recited.

"Exactly. Now that's my girl!" Nathan said proudly.

"So can I have my story now?" Grace asked to her father like every other day.

"Okay which one do you want this time?" Nathan asked.

"La même que d'habitude. Le petit prince et en français s'il te plait daddy."(1) Grace said in a perfect french.

"I don't even know why I ask." Nathan said as he was rolling his eyes.

"Because I might want a different story one day." Grace replied.

"Buttercup! There are like a thousand books here in your room and I read you Saint-Exupéry for 5 long years." Nate pointed out.

"Daddy, please just read it already!" Grace got impatient.

"Alright, alright!... Where w..." He started to ask before Grace cut him off.

"Chapter 3." She anticipated.

"Il me fallut longtemps pour comprendre d'où il venait. Le petit prince, qui me posait beaucoup de questions, ne semblait jamais entendre les miennes. Ce sont des mots prononcés par hasard qui, peu à peu, m'ont tout révélé..."(2) He started to read.

As usual, Nathan barely could read two chapters that Grace was already sound asleep.

"Sweet dreams Buttercup! I love you." He whispered with a smile listening to her heavy breathing before he hung up the phone.

* * *

><p>"So, you're coming or what?" Jake asked to Lucas who was lying on his bed with his laptop.<p>

"Mmh! Let me think about it... Do I want to go to a football game with my ex girlfriend's brother who I despise and her new boyfriend who I hate even more? Oh yeah there isn't something I'd want to do more." Lucas replied sarcastically.

"Oh come on! It's gonna be fun!" Jake told him.

"Or I could stab myself with a fork! That would be fun too." Lucas replied sarcastically.

Jake was about to speak when they heard someone knocking on Lucas' door.

"Oh joy!" Lucas used sarcasm again.

"You can come in!" Jake said after he gave a warning look to Lucas.

"I'm sorry to interrupt but we're going to be late." Nathan said after Clay and him came in.

"He doesn't want to come." Jake said.

"Look! I'm sorry for everything, I was a pain in the ass but I just wanted to protect my little sister. You do have a little sister, right?" Nate asked.

"Yeah." Lucas sighed.

"So you have to understand. Besides trust me if I could go back in time I'd be happy to let you date Brooke, because no one can be worse that this piece of trash she's about to settle with." Nathan kind of apologized.

"You're not with her?" Lucas turned to Clay, confused.

"He wishes!" Nathan mocked Clay.

"Me?! I'm trying for 6 or 7 years now and she still doesn't want me." Clay joked.

"I thought... when I saw you... never mind!" Lucas said, shaking his head.

"Wait! Why did you think he was dating Brooke?" Nathan asked suspiciously.

"Because he saw us together the other day, you know after Brooke's appointment." Clay explained.

"I'm sorry." Lucas apologized to Clay.

"Don't worry. I would have done the same thing." Clay said.

"So can we go now?" Jake got impatient.

"I'll be downstairs in 5 minutes." Lucas said after consideration.

"Good!" Jake replied.

10 minutes later, they were in Nathan's car on their way to the MetLife Stadium.

"You know when we watched the Giants vs the Cowboys the other day I didn't know you owned them!" Jake joked to break the silence.

"It was just an opportunity for me to fulfill a childhood dream." Nate explained.

"Damn! Must be great to be rich." Jake exclaimed.

"Did you play football back in college Lucas?" Clay asked trying to break the ice.

"No I played basketball at Duke." Lucas replied.

"A blue devil, huh?" Nathan said impressed as he was driving.

"What about you Jake?" Clay asked.

"He was a wide receiver for the Princeton Tigers, remember?!" Nathan answered to Clay instead of Jake.

"Wow it's a small world. So you played with West, huh? Poor guy!" Clay replied.

"This guy is bad news!" Jake replied.

"Tell me about it!" Nathan said.

"I can't believe Haley was with him for 2 years." Lucas said.

"And I can't believe your sister dated him on and off for almost her entire life." Clay added.

"God you two are killing me right now!" Nathan complained.

"Nathan, did Haley tell you what happened with him?" Jake asked.

"Nope. And I don't know if I want to know. Why? do you know something?" Nate asked, getting concerned.

"I just know it's really bad." Jake replied.

"It's always bad when it's about West." Clay said.

"I don't know man! I have 3 sisters so I know how it is... You know I was there... and Haley was... I don't know I just can't help myself but think that something terrible happened." Jake said very concerned.

"I agree I wasn't there but Haley used to tell me everything and she never told me she was with him. There's definitely something off." Lucas added.

"I'm pretty sure I'm the only one to know that, but when we were back in college, we had to hospitalize her, she had lost so much weight! She didn't want to eat anything. She made me promise not to tell anyone, but now that this son of bitch is resurfacing, I have to warn you, just be careful!" Jake explained.

"Oh my..." Lucas suddenly felt sick.

"Yeah it was that bad!" Jake replied.

"Now I'm scared. Especially with his past." Nathan said.

"What do you mean his past?" Jake asked.

"He's the physical abusive type." Nathan said vaguely, thinking about that day Damien West assaulted Peyton but said nothing more. He didn't want to cause any problems between Peyton and Jake.

"What! How can you let him be with Brooke?" Lucas asked really shocked. He knew it was uncalled-for, especially since Nathan didn't know about his history with Brooke but he couldn't help it.

"They're not married yet, are they? He's gonna have to pass over my dead body! I swear to god! I don't know what I'm going to do but baby or not, it's not gonna happen."

The conversation was really awkward. Everyone was afraid to say something he shouldn't. Clay wanted to tell Lucas he was the father of Brooke's baby but he had promised Brooke he wouldn't say a word. Lucas didn't want Nathan to know about Brooke and him while Nathan didn't want Jake to know about Damien West abusing Peyton. Then Jake also knew about Brooke and Lucas, well not everything.  
>To say that everyone was really grateful when they finally arrived was an understatement.<p>

* * *

><p>The evening went very well. Everyone had got along and the Giants had won. The guys had even had a few beers in a bar after the match. Then Nathan dropped off everyone and finally arrived home. He was alone in his huge penthouse wondering about what Damien West could have done this time, what did he do to hurt Haley? So bad that she had stopped to eat. He thought about every worse case scenario. He felt a twisted pain in his gut which wrenched its way along his veins, making him physically sick. After Brooke and Peyton, he couldn't bear the thought of Haley getting hurt by him. He swore he'd do whatever it takes to find a way to beat him, once and for all, set the people that he loved free and hope he'd have the strength to tear him down for good, even if he had to lose everything for that. After an hour of tiresome thinking, he helped himself to a glass of scotch to calm down. He looked at the clock and made the mental calculation. If it was 10 pm here, it should be 4 am in England. He knew it was too early in the morning to call her but right now he really needed to hear her voice. So he took his iPhone and pressed the button for Haley's speed dial number.<p>

"Morning' Beautiful!" Nate said when he heard Haley answer.

"Hey... Are you okay?" Haley asked with a sleepy voice assuming it was early in the morning since it was still dark.

"I'm fine, I'm fine. I just wanted to hear your voice." He calmly said.

"You know it's 4 am here, don't you?" She said after she checked on her phone.

"I know, I'm sorry but what can I say? I miss you." Nate told her.

"I miss you too, but I'd have gladly wait until 9 am to hear you say it." She said laughing.

"I just don't like being on my own. I know I did it for the past few years but it seems that I can do it anymore. You're ruining me Hales." Nathan said with a laugh.

"I'll be home before you know it." She reassured him while he was laughing. "What?" She didn't understand what was funny.

"You said home." Nate replied with a smile.

"Yeah home like United States of America." Haley clarified.

"... Whatever." He said a little disappointed.

"What's happening in this little mind of yours?" Haley asked.

"Careful beautiful, you don't want to know what's currently running through my mind." He tried to hide the real issue.

"I think I can handle it." Haley replied.

"And I think you can't'!" Nathan told her.

"Why? Is it because it's so kinky that you're afraid I might judging you?" She teased him.

"Oh beautiful, I thought you knew me better now. I'm never ashamed when it's about sex." Nate replied playfully.

"Of course you perv!" Haley laughed.

"You never complained before." He reminded her.

"Maybe it's because you're so dark." She went back over the initial subject.

"I'm not that deep." He lied.

Nathan never allowed himself to let out the darkness. No one had a clue of how much he was damaged and tortured, how much he was struggling to not be swallowed by all of this, and he was fine with that. He just couldn't face the music. For now, he had control over the direction his thoughts were going in with helping out people he loved. It was working for so many years but any psychologist would tell that it was just a matter of time before he'd completely fall apart.

"What happened between you and West?" He suddenly changed of subject.

"I already told you. He cheated on me. Why do you even talk about this anyway?" She asked incredibly annoyed.

"Jake told me..." Nathan started to explain before being cut off.

"He's not in his right mind when it's about my history with Damien." She cut him off. "He cheated, I was hurt. That's all! I swear!" She lied to him and probably to herself.

"I'm sorry, okay. Let's pretend I said nothing." Nate apologized.

"I just don't like to have to remember those moments." Haley said quietly.

Nathan wanted to dig further, but he knew she wasn't nearly ready to confide in him. After a few seconds of a heavy silence he decided to lighten the mood instead.

"What are you wearing?" He said as Haley could practically hear him smirking.

"You gotta be kidding me!" Haley replied laughing.

"Please!" He begged.

"I won't do that." She firmly said.

"You're no fun." Nate pouted.

"Why did you assume that I'm wearing something?" She said suggestively after she changed her mind.

"You don't say!" Nate laughed.

"I'm wearing socks. Does that count?" Haley asked.

"You're such a tease!" He moaned.

"No kidding, I'm wearing your Yale tee-shirt." She admitted.

"Anything else?" Nate asked.

"Nope!" Haley replied.

"No panties?" Nate asked.

"You already know the answer." Haley replied with a smirk.

"Fuck! I thought it was just to make it easier... You know so I can have easy access." He said in a gravelly voice.

"Are you naked?" She asked as she was getting into a more comfortable position.

"No, but I can totally sort that out." He laughed, he was never one to be ashamed of his body.

"Who is the tease now?" Haley teased.

"Take off my tee-shirt!" He commanded. His voice was getting huskier and huskier.

"Done." She replied as she was really starting to be aroused.

"Touch yourself!" He breathed feeling his erection hardening.

"Where?" She said eager to have his answer.

"Touch your breasts and pretend it's me." He instructed, starting to trace up and down his abs, getting closer to his hard cock.

She began squeezing her breasts, pinching her nipples between her thumb and index finger. She moaned at the sensation, feeling herself getting wetter. He sighed heavily through the phone, she knew that he was starting to touch himself so she closed her eyes and picture him pleasuring his body, eyebrows scrunched together and mouth slightly parted.

"Tell me what you're doing, are your hands on your cock?" She boldly asked.

Nathan was surprised. He never heard such words in her mouth but he found it incredibly sexy.

"Yeah beautiful, I wish it were you. God I fucking miss your body!"

"Oh my... Nate!" She whispered into the phone, dragging her hand down her body, circling her navel.

"Are you wet beautiful? Touch your clit and slip one finger in. I want you to tell me how tight you are, tell me how soaking wet you are for me." Nathan whispered.

"I'm so wet for you Nate, always. And I'm so freaking tight, you'd love it." She moaned into the phone.

Nathan stroked himself until he had a fast pace, flicking his wrist each time he pumped.

"How many fingers?" He gasped.

"Just one." Haley replied.

"Add a second beautiful." Nate demanded.

Haley gasped for air when she stuck a second finger. It felt so good. She felt that undeniable feeling in the pit of her stomach, knowing she was getting close.

"Are you thinking about my cock? Because I'm thinking about your warm and wet pussy. I fucking love your face when you have an orgasm, it's the sexiest fucking thing I've ever seen, it makes me want to fuck you even harder over and over again." Nate said panting.

"Nathan!" She groaned.

"I want you so bad!" He admitted. "When you get home I'm not gonna let you get out of the room, I swear I'm gonna explore every inch of your body."

She giggled as she hit that very spot.

"Jesus! Nathan... Holy! I hit that spot that you always find... God!" She moaned knowing that she was about to lose in soon.

"Fuck!" He hissed, knowing that his orgasm was also approaching.

"Are you close beautiful?" Nate asked.

"God yes! And you?" Haley gasped.

He didn't have to answer her, the hitch in his throat and the deep groan that followed answered her question perfectly.

"Come for me Hales. I want to hear you." Nathan begged.

"Come with me." She begged him.

Haley couldn't hold back any longer with the new pace she had set, she felt her orgasm begin to claim her entire being. She could feel her toes beginning to curl into the sheets as her heart rate sped up what had to be a record level. Nathan's orgasm followed right after hers. Feeling fully content, still holding on the phone, they both closed their eyes as they were catching their breath. There didn't seem to be a need for words.

* * *

><p>It was finally the big day! Peyton, Brooke and Grace were waiting for Jean-Paul Goude. Brooke had already done some photo shoots for several clothing brands when she was a kid but it was the first time for Grace. Not that she didn't have the opportunity, countless headhunters had actually approached her but if she always dreamed to be a mannequin, for her it was equivalent to be a princess, Nathan always have been fiercely against it. When Jean-Paul Goude arrived, he was more than an hour late. The make-up artists and the hairdressers had already almost finished their job. After that the girls put their dresses on, the two of them were truly stunning.<p>

"Bonjour!" He casually said hello in french.

"Bonjour Monsieur. On est prêtes!" (3) Grace replied in the same language.

"Regardez la! En plus d'être adorable, elle parle parfaitement français." (4) The director was delighted.

"I'm sorry! I'm lost." Brooke intervened.

"We're rude, let's continue in english." He said with a thick accent.

"Hi! I'm Peyton Sawyer, I'm the one who contacted you. Nice to meet you." She introduced herself shaking his hand with a big smile on her face.

"Oh! I remember. Nice to meet you too." He replied.

"So when I called I gave you some ideas but you told me that you didn't work like that. That you came with the concept, that we have to trust you. What do you have in mind?" Peyton asked.

"You'll see soon enough. But I promise you're gonna love it. Each one of my clients have been fully satisfied." He said with a smile.

"Everyone?" Brooke insisted.

"Everyone." He replied.

"Wow! That's impressive." Brooke replied.

"Alright! Let's do this!" Peyton exclaimed.

They worked all day long. At the end of the day Jean-Paul Goude congratulated Brooke and Grace for their professionalism especially since they were novice. Then he said that it was a pleasure and that something really good was going to come out of this.

* * *

><p>Peyton couldn't wait to see Jake. She was looking everywhere while the others stayed behind knowing that no one was waiting for them since Nathan and Clay had a meeting again. As soon as Brooke put her foot in New York she felt sick. She didn't know if it was due to her pregnancy or to the huge mess she had left behind before she went to London that she knew she had to face now. She was lost in her thoughts when she heard a familiar voice saying her name in the airport loudspeaker.<p>

"Brooke I don't know if you hear me right now but I just have to try." The loud speaker relayed.

"Is it Lucas?" Brooke asked to Haley.

"Yeah apparently." She replied confused.

"God Brooke I'm so sorry. I was an idiot. I thought I was fine. That I didn't need someone in my life..." Lucas continued to speak while everyone in JFK was listening to him.

"What is he doing?" Brooke couldn't believe what was happening.

"The truth is, it was partially true... I don't need someone, I just need you... I'm not fine, I'm a mess without you... Oh Brooke! You are everything I never knew I always wanted... And I don't care that this baby is not mine because I already know I'm going to love this baby because it's a part of you... And you, Brooke Scott, I'm madly in love with you..." Lucas continued to say.

"I knew I liked that guy for a reason." Peyton said wrapped up in Jake's arms.

Brooke ran through the airport asking to every hostess where she could find the guy who was speaking in the loudspeaker. The situation was utterly insane.

"Marry me Brooke. Let me love the both of you for the rest of my life." Lucas proposed.

"Oh God!" She surely didn't expect that.

A few minutes later she finally faced him.

"I can't let you do that." Brooke said as she was trying to catch her breath.

"Brooke! Pl..." Lucas started to say before Brooke lifted her fingers to Lucas' mouth.

"I'm sorry I can't... Not when you don't know the truth." Brooke told him.

"I told you. I don't care. I love you. It's all that matters." Lucas tried to convince her.

"We're pregnant." She calmly said as she was slowly approaching him.

"I already know that." Lucas said.

"I mean you're the father." Brooke stated.

"What?! I thought..." Lucas trailed off, completely taken off guard.

"There never was someone else Lucas. It's always been you." Brooke admitted, a tear rolling down her cheek.

"God I love you so much." He said before he gently stroked her cheek. "Pretty girl!" He added as he captured her lips.

"I love you too." She said gasping for air.

"So what is your answer?" He asked looking right into her hazel eyes.

"Yes... yes... yes..." She said between kisses smiling against his lips.

Life is not a romantic comedy they said. Well, that day it just was. Lucas wrapped Brooke in his arms as she settled into his shoulder. This was finally what she wanted. Lucas knew the truth, he accepted it and really wanted to be with her. It was in that moment where everything seemed to come together.

* * *

><p><strong>(1) The same as always. The little prince and in french please daddy.<strong>

**(2) It took me a long time to learn where he came from. The little prince, who asked me so many questions, never seemed to hear the ones I asked him. It was from words dropped by chance that, little by little, everything was revealed to me.**

**(3) Hello Sir! We're ready.**

**(4) Look at her! In addition to be lovely, she speaks french.**

**Next :**

**It's thanksgiving. Haley's and Lucas' family come to NYC for the special occasion. Brooke and Nathan will meet their families. Peyton will follow Jake and meet his family.  
>Brucas are going to start to plan their wedding.<strong>

**So small wedding or big wedding? Tell me what you think and I'll pick according to your answers!**

**See you soon.**


	15. Chapter 14

**Hey guys! I missed you. Hope that everyone is okay, I don't know if some of you were on the path of the Hurricane Sandy, but if you were I send you all my prayers and thoughts. My twin brother lives in NYC and it was quite upsetting with his building shaking. Anyway I hope you're all safe.  
>Thanks you all for giving your opinion about brucas wedding, you rock!<br>Like always a few words for the ones who don't have an account :  
><em>Sacha <em>: You'll see in that chapter Nathan's reaction. As for Damien you're totally right to don't trust that bitch!  
><em>Nomie <em>: I'm glad you liked Lucas proposal, I know there are lots of brucas fan who's reading me, I wanted that reunion special. Yes Haley was anorexic.  
><em>Erin <em>: Thanks for your answer, we'll see.  
><em>Denise <em>: There is more jeyton is this chapter so enjoy! And I kinda agree with you about Brooke wanting a big wedding but what about Lucas?  
><em>allison <em>: It's great that you liked kinky naley ahah! And yeah brucas few always! I hated that they wasn't endgame, like wtf?  
><em>CJ <em>: Thank you! And as for your answer this is exactly the problem, Brooke would want a big wedding and Lucas a small one.  
><em>iheartyou <em>: I'm sorry I made you cry lol! Yeah what did Damien do, huh? Hum some horrible things, I can tell you that!  
><em>Aure <em>: I'll think about it, brucas banter can be fun.  
><em>Mimi <em>: Yep Haley's family is a big mess, you're gonna see that in this chapter.  
><em>Jojo89<em> : Damien is a horrible person but he's interesting for sure.  
><em>Guest <em>: You'll see here if Haley's and Lucas' family will accept Brooke and Nathan.  
><em>Wallflower <em>: Lol I hate him too, with all my heart. No brucas won't elope, sorry!  
><em>Shaun Buck<em> : I'm pretty much okay with all what you said, glad you like my story!**

**Now this is the chapter 15, it's thanksgiving and I introduce you Lucas and Haley's family. The chapter was so long that I cut it in two part, so you'll read the rest next time. Good reading!**

* * *

><p>"Okay, tell me about your family again." Peyton asked very stressed to Jake.<p>

"Peyton." Jake sighed giving her a warning look.

"Please." She begged.

Jake and Peyton were on the plane to San Francisco. Peyton was stressing out as she was biting her nails. She knew that family was a big deal for Jake and she didn't want to screw up, so she was trying to do her homework.

"But I already told you about a hundred times." Jake complained.

"Let's recap!" She ignored him. "Your mother Myriam is a business lawyer, she studied at Berkeley where she met your father David. It was love at first sight. Him, he's an architect and town planner. So far am I right?"

"Yeah." He sighed again, bored to hear about his family over and over again.

"You have three older sisters. Shirel who is also a business lawyer, she lives in Portland with her husband and her four children, Seth, Rebecca..." She paused, trying to remember the other two names.

"Nathanaël and Simon." He added wanting to finish as quickly as possible.

"Then there is Sarah who works for the biomedical research in Seattle and she's pregnant with her first baby. And finally there is Yaël who works at your father's architecture practice. She got married last year." She finished proud of herself.

"See! You already know everything." Jake pointed out.

"It's just that I'm a little intimidated. You know I'm not used to big families. It's always been just my dad and I, and he wasn't around very often." She confessed.

"I know. But my family's going to love you. You're gorgeous and smart, you've studied business at Yale and you have a pretty good job." Jake reassured her.

"That's because the CEO is my best friend." She pointed out.

"Yeah whatever. They will be thrilled, trust me. Besides they'll be too occupied to be mad at me." Jake told her.

"And why is that?" Peyton asked.

"I don't know. Maybe because they spent $180,000 so I could study in an ivy league university, become an architect and work with my dad some day, and that I chose to open a studio and produce some indie artists on the other side of the country instead." Jake pointed out.

"But your sister works with your father, right?" Peyton asked confused.

"It should have been me. My father is an architect, my grandfather was an architect and I should have been an architect. That's all!" Jake said, ending the conversation.

Jake always had a very privileged relationship with his father. They used to be very close when he was younger. It was said that after three daughters, David Jagielski was more than thrilled when God finally heard his prayers. He was all the more proud since Jake used to love to go with him to work and had good grades in math and physics. Everything was planned and there was no doubt that Jake would become an architect one day. When Jake dropped everything and moved to New York, it broke something between them, and there was nothing he could say or do that could fix it.

"Well, when you put it that way." Peyton said as she approached him to whisper in his ear. "I know something that could make us feel better." She whispered devilishly.

"You are so bad Peyton Sawyer!" Jake gasped, acting to be offended before he captured her lips. "I like it!" He added playfully.

* * *

><p>It was a long day at work for Haley. After she finally finished the thanksgiving wishes speech for the mayor, she grabbed her coat to meet Nathan at his place. She was about to grab her laptop when someone knocked on her office door. She sighed because she really didn't want to do any extra hours work.<p>

"You can come in." She said and the person opened the door.

"Hey Hales!" Damien said with a smile.

"What are you doing here?" She asked coldly.

"I just miss you babe." Damien said approaching her.

"Don't!" She said weakly.

"Why not? We haven't been alone for quite some time..." Damien trailed off.

"I... I have to go." She stammered starting to leave as he grab her wrist to hold her back.

"Do you think he's still gonna want to be with you when he'll find out the truth?" He said with a smirk.

"What do you want from me?" Haley asked, her voice broken.

"Nothing. I just don't want you to end up with a broken heart." Damien replied.

"That's too bad that you didn't care about my heart before." She said bitterly.

"He won't understand what you've done. He's never gonna love you Hales, not like me."

"What I've done? It was because of you!" She snapped as tears started to run down her face.

"I didn't force you but I recognize that I played my part in all of this. That's why I'm the only one who is able to love you." Damien told her.

"You're wrong. You don't know him." Haley said defensively.

"And who do you think you're trying to convince? You or me?" Damien asked her.

He wiped her cheek and kissed it before he left. He didn't try anything more, because he knew that his mission was already accomplished. Haley thought that she didn't deserve the love of someone, and it was all he needed to sabotage her relationship with Nathan. Haley stood at the door while Damien closed it behind him. She slid down the nearest wall and buried her face in her hands. What was it going to take to get rid of Damien West forever?

* * *

><p>"You promise?" Brooke asked to her brother.<p>

"I already told you, I'm not gonna ruin it for you. If you're happy, I'm happy for you." Nathan replied.

Lucas and Haley should arrive anytime soon now and Brooke wanted to be sure that Nathan would be civilized. It was the first time that Lucas and Nathan were going to see each other since Brooke told him the big news. Nathan didn't know how he felt about Brooke getting married to Lucas, but he sure was relieved that she didn't have to settle with Damien West. And if he didn't like Lucas, he couldn't be worse than this one.

"Good! Because we're in love and we're gonna have a baby together." Brooke reinstated.

"Got it! By the way I still don't understand why you didn't tell me the truth in the first place. I mean, how can you think that I'd rather see you with Damien West over anyone?" Nathan asked her.

"Shut up and help me to lay the table." She ordered him as she threw a table napkin at him." So tomorrow we'll see their family!" Brooke said after a few minutes.

"Don't worry everybody always loves you." Nathan reassured her.

"I don't know, there will be a lot of people, I'm a little rusty with family." Brooke joked.

"It could be worse though. They could have had to meet our family." Nathan tried to joke.

"Yeah... Thanksgiving always was pretty fucked up here." Brooke said smiling sadly.

"Not as bad as Christmas eve." Nathan added.

When Brooke and Nathan's parents were still alive, holidays in the Scott family always rhymed with drama, alcohol, tears and yells. It would usually start right in the morning when their father would come home late from work and their mom yelling at him as soon as he walked in the door. Then mom would start drinking before cooking, dad would try to pull the kids away to go somewhere else, and the rest snowballed from there.

"I'm gonna miss this." Brooke said getting emotional.

''Brooke." He looked at her tenderly. "You didn't think that we were going to live together forever, did you?" He said trying to hide his emotions behind a smile.

"God! It's gonna be weird not having you by my side every day." Brooke told him.

"Wait! You're leaving the Upper east side?" He made fun of her.

"Very funny! You know I'd rather die! Still it's not gonna be the same." Brooke said.

"Okay! We're not gonna do this. You haven't left yet!" Nathan told her.

"You really have a problem with expressing your feelings!" Brooke complained.

"I love you little sis'! See?! I can express my feelings." Nathan said.

"I can't even with you. I have lost the ability to even!" She gave up as he was laughing out loud when they heard the elevator doors.

Brooke gave one last threatening look to Nathan before they headed for the foyer. The four of them stayed there all looking at each other in silence for a few seconds.

"Well, this is not awkward at all!" Nathan finally broke the silence as everyone laughed nervously.

"Oh Haley, come with me, I need your opinion about something!" Brooke said as she grabbed Haley by her hand. "Sorry. Girl stuff!" She added with a big smile as she brought Haley with her leaving the guys by themselves.

"Look Nathan..." Lucas hesitated.

"Save it! It's okay as long as you know that if you break her heart, I break your face." Nathan cut him off.

"I won't. I swear." Lucas promised.

"Good! Also you have to remember in every circumstance that I don't like you. So if you break your promise I won't have any problem to kill you."

"It's okay. I don't like you either anyway."

"Fine." Nathan said as he shook Lucas hand.

"So, you're gonna meet all the James gang tomorrow, huh?" Lucas tried to converse.

"Yeah, that's a lot of people." Nathan said.

"Nervous?" Lucas asked.

"Maybe." Nathan replied.

"They're cool, don't worry. Her mom will be all over you right away." Lucas said.

"Great!" Nathan said, looking around the room.

* * *

><p>Later in the night, they were all sitting in the dining room eating and having a casual conversation. Everything was going very well. Brooke was talking about the baby while Lucas was smiling at her blissfully and Haley was listening to her carefully when Nathan left the table before he came back with some papers.<p>

"So, I've made this a couple of days ago now. And I wanted to wait until your wedding day to give it to you but I thought that..." Nathan started to say giving the papers to Brooke.

"Nate!" Brooke shouted as she was reading the document.

"It's gonna take ages until you find a place. You know how picky you can get." Nathan said.

"I can't accept that. Mum bequeathed this place to you." Brooke managed to say as she was in shock.

"What's going on?" Lucas asked very confused.

"Look! You two need to have this pregnancy properly and enjoy it while it lasts so please don't be stubborn. Just take it, if Lucas is okay with that of course."

"Can someone tell me what this is about?" Lucas continued to ask.

"This is way too much brother! Besides the fact that the estimated value of this place is totally insane, mum gave it to you not to me. I can't accept that." Brooke argued.

"Why does nobody answer me?" Lucas asked to Haley as she shrugged.

"Like I said you're so damn difficult!" Nathan told her.

"I'm just trying to be fair." Brooke insisted while Nathan sighed.

"How about you give me something in exchange?" He finally proposed.

"Like what?" Brooke asked.

"I don't know, whatever you want." Nathan replied with a shrug.

"I'll think about it." Brooke said, her eyes still glued to the papers in her hand.

"So are we allowed to know what this is about now?" Lucas asked.

"Nathan just lost his damn mind and gave his place to us." Brooke said.

"Wait, this place?" Haley asked.

"No! On Park avenue North." Brooke replied.

"I thought that a house in Brooklyn would be perfect to raise a child." Lucas said to Brooke as Nathan burst into laughter.

"You must be new." Nathan joked.

"Honey! I love you but there is no way I'm moving to Brooklyn. Plus our mom bought this place because she thought that it was perfect for a family one day." Brooke explained.

"I don't get it Luke! You didn't want to live in Brooklyn in the first place. I'm the one who wanted to live in Brooklyn." Haley helped Brooke out.

"Yeah but Brooklyn kinda grew on me." Lucas replied.

"That's it! Everyone, let's go!" Brooke commanded as she stood up.

"Where?" Lucas was completely lost.

"Brooke can we do this another day? Please!" Nathan begged her, instantly knowing where she was coming from.

"This is an emergency. He wants us to live in freaking Brooklyn." Brooke exclaimed.

"This is not as terrible as you think." Lucas tried to convince her.

"See?!" She shouted turning around to her brother.

"I take back what I said. Dude, you're a saint!" He said to Lucas as he patted on his shoulder.

Brooke was a very whimsical person. She was used to always get her way. And everyone around her condoned because they also knew that she had a pure heart. This very evening, she had forced everyone to walk in the cold weather to show them the famous penthouse. And she swore that she would never live in Brooklyn, not in this lifetime.

* * *

><p>Nathan was running a hot bath for Haley, before he lit some candles. He figured it would be more than welcome after Brooke obliged them to walk in the cold November weather.<p>

"That smells good!" Haley said after she came in the bathroom completely naked. "What?" She asked after she noticed that he was staring at her.

"Nothing. I just can't believe how beautiful you are." He complimented and smiled at her.

"Stop! I'm so fat. I feel terrible." Haley replied, wrapping her arms around her stomach.

"Nonsense! You're..." Nathan started to say before Haley made a beeline to the tub.

"God! I'm freezing!" She cut him off shaking.

"I'm sorry. She's a real pain in the ass!" Nathan said as he put a background music on.

"I think she just knows what she wants." She shrugged before she slipped into the bathtub.

"Is there some space for me in there?" Nathan asked with a smile.

"Hmm!" She pretended to think for a few seconds. "I'm kidding, come here!" She said as he started to take off his clothes.

Nathan got in the bathtub just behind Haley. She settled between his legs, resting her head on his torso. Then he closed his eyes and inhaled the scent of her hair.

"It's great that Luke and you can stay in the same room without ripping each others throats out." Haley said.

"I just want her to be happy you know? And I've come to the conclusion that if Lucas is your best friend, he can't be that bad." Nathan replied.

"I know that he never had a proper relationship but it was just because he never got a chance. I can tell you that he loves Brooke and that he's going to be an amazing father." She reassured him.

"I hope so." Nathan trailed off.

Nathan grabbed the hairbrush on the edge of the bathtub that Haley had left the previous day. Then he started to gently brush her beautiful golden locks.

"We've all come from so far! Like who would have thought 3 months ago that the two of us would be together!" Nathan said amused after a few minutes had passed.

"Pretty much everyone besides us. But I think Brooke always has been our biggest fan." Haley replied.

"Tell me about it! She harassed me until I made a move on you." Nathan laughed.

"Oh please! I don't want to remember that day." She said laughing.

"Oh my god! It was so funny." Nathan said.

"What was so funny? We were stuck in that stupid elevator!" Haley argued.

"You were practically crying." He mocked her.

"This is not true at all!" She took offence throwing some bubble bath at him.

"You never learn, do you?" He challenged her before he riposted.

They were bickering like children when he heard her laugh. Haley was laughing genuinely. It was rare for her, actually he didn't remember seeing her like this. Her beauty irradiated, her bare skin surrounded by the candlelight, her smile, her shiny eyes, the droplets on her lips : She was the perfect picture. And at this very moment everything hit him. He just knew it and it was screaming so loudly inside of him, that even if he didn't want to tell her the words probably came out one way or another.

"I love you." He said weakly as Haley's smile was slowly faded away.

''I...''

"Shhh." He put his index on her lips. "I don't want you to tell me anything. I said that I loved you because I truly mean it. God Haley! I love everything about you. I love the way you bite your lower lip when you're upset, I love that you cry every single time you watch Dirty Dancing even if you know that movie is lame, I love that I never actually heard this beautiful mouth of yours swearing, like are you even real? Because I could swear that every morning when I open my eyes I see an angel. I love you Haley, and I hope that someday you'll feel the same way about me and that you'll be able to truly open your heart." Nathan told her.

Haley was speechless. She had seen this kind of declaration of love in movies and always found them cheesy but now that it was happening to her, it was different. She didn't want to believe it, she didn't want to like it, but she was falling for it all the same. Nathan was slowly breaking her walls and there was nothing she could do about it.

"Nathan." Was all she could say before she instantly pressed her lips against his.

She wrapped her legs around his waist as Nathan sat up and put his arms around her waist. She pulled away and looked into Nathan's deep, blue eyes. She could tell him right now that she loved him. She started to feel the sensation overwhelm her. But instantly the scene of Damien in her office replayed in her head and the feeling was swept away. She continued to kiss Nathan instead till she wiped every memory of Damien away, even if for the moment.

* * *

><p>"It's delicious Mrs Jagielski!" Peyton complimented while eating her sweet potatoes.<p>

"Oh thank you dear, but please call me Myriam." She replied with a smile as Peyton nodded.

"So Jacob, how's business?" Jake's dad asked.

"David please!" Myriam warned her husband.

"What? We can't even talk anymore?" He questioned.

"It's thanksgiving Dad, let's not talk about this." Jake said to his father.

"I've listened to the demo that y..." Yaël started to say before Jake cut her off.

"Oh my God Yaël just shut the hell up!" Jake shouted.

"Wow! Someone needs a happy meal! I was just going to say that it was pretty good Jacob!" Yaël replied, putting her hands up in defense.

"Well, you're not helping at all sis'!" Jake replied harshly.

"I'm sorry Peyton, my kids have obviously forgotten their manners." Myriam apologized.

"It's okay. Really." Peyton replied, shifting in her seat.

"Peyton what do you do for a living?" David asked to her.

"And here we go!" Jake sighed rolling his eyes.

"Jake, please." Peyton gave him a warning look. "I work for the Scott Group, I take care about the communication part." She responded.

"I'm impressed. It's huge for a young girl like you." He congratulated her.

"Yeah but the CEO is my best friend since kindergarten so it wasn't so hard to get the job." She joked.

"Still! The Scott Group is a very good listed company, I don't think that your friend would jeopardize all of this just to be nice with you." David pointed out.

"Thank you." Peyton replied with a smile.

"You hit the jackpot Jacob!" Shirel said.

"I know she's pretty amazing!" He said smiling at Peyton while he was stroking softly her hand.

"And how did a girl like you have met someone like my son?" Jake's father asked.

"Alright that's it!" Jake stood up.

"Jacob!" Myriam called out her son with a pleading look.

"Mum I love you but right now I need some air." He said as he left.

"What did I say?" David asked to his wife seeing the look on her face. "I'm gonna see if he's okay." Peyton said.

"Let me!" Yaël held Peyton back.

_'It's gonna be a long day!' _Peyton thought to herself as she sat back down. She poked at her now cold potatoes, thinking about how she would survive the rest of her time here.

* * *

><p>Brooke and Nathan were sat on the sofa with all of their "parents in law" as they were watching the house filling up little by little. They were really amused. Haley wasn't lying, her family was quite ''interesting''. It was a mess. A giant lovely mess. Vivian, the elder daughter had arrived first with her family. She had a bunch of kids on her own, all boys who were swarming everywhere and Grace was more than thrilled to play with Lily, Lucas' little sister. Haley's twin brothers Bryan and Gavin were already there with their twin girlfriends too, it was quite odd to watch these two identical pairings. And when Taylor, another one of Haley's sister said hello to Nathan, she hugged him while she was squeezing his ass. Finally Doug, her husband and their adorable baby girl came in. Only Quinn was missing to complete the picture. She was a photographer and was living in Kribi, a little tourist town by the sea in Cameroon, she was the adventurer of the family. She had planned to surprise and visit them for thanksgiving. And though she loved to live in Africa she wanted to stay in New York for a little while.<p>

"Where is Clay?" Brooke asked her brother.

"I don't know, he should be there anytime soon." He replied while checking his watch.

"So Karen, Haley told me that you're gonna be a grandmother!" Lydia, Haley's mother said looking at Brooke.

"Wow! News travel fast!" Nathan said.

"Oh Haley tells me everything!" Lydia warned Nathan.

_'Did she tell you about what happened with Damien West too? because if you want to share that'd be great!' _Nathan thought to himself.

"Do you know if it's a girl or a boy yet?" Lydia asked to Brooke.

"Not yet." She replied as she was caressing her belly.

"You know Lydia has a gift, she can guess the sex of your baby. She's never wrong." Karen said.

"Let me see this." Lydia said approaching Brooke before she get the amethyst pendulum that she had in her pocket.

"I'm not sure... Oh!" Brooke was surprised when Lydia started to touch her stomach while Nathan was really amused by the situation.

"I percieve some bad energies. This baby needs you to eat more." She said as she was shaking the pendulum above Brooke's belly.

"Sorry but I really can't do that. I'm already eating way too much." Brooke laughed.

"Honey! You can't starve yourself, you're eating for two right now." Lydia reminded her.

"Well eating is not very Chanel!" Brooke said.

"You're very lucky Karen, you're daughter in law is really funny!" Lydia said laughing out loud.

"Where do you plan to live?" Keith asked her as Lucas came into the living room.

"We're going to live in Manhattan." Lucas replied instead of Brooke. "And what are you doing Lydia?" He asked a little skeptical.

"I was just figuring out that your baby is a little boy, congratulations!" Lydia exclaimed.

"Manhattan? You can't be serious, that is not a place to raise a kid." Karen spoke to her son.

"Mum! This is our decision." Lucas argued.

"But you always said that when it comes the time you'll have a baby you'd come back to Tree Hill." Karen insisted.

"I'm gonna see if Haley needs help in the kitchen." Nathan wanted to dodge this conversation.

"Please come back!" Brooke begged him.

"I know I said that but I'm allowed to change my mind." Lucas said.

"I think you all missed the point here, you two are having a baby boy, that's wonderful!" Lydia tried to ease the tensions.

"Well girl or boy, I don't want my grandchild to be one of these spoil brats we used to see in the bad teen shows." Karen explained.

"Mum!" Lucas called out.

"With all your respect Ma'am! I can't let you insult us. New York is my home, I was born here, I grew up here, I buried my parents here, my brother buried his wife here for god sake! During all these years I saw this city change, I was there in its worst moment of history. We all fell this very day, we were tested in our very souls and no matter what race, or age, or what was the amount of money on our bank account, we were one! We've threw this together! Now that's the kind of inspiration I want for my child!" Brooke delivered her speech before she left the living room followed by Lucas.

Nathan and Haley were cooking in the kitchen when someone rang at the door.

"It must be Clay! I'm going." Nathan said washing quickly his hands.

Nathan walked towards the front door and opened it. In front of him there were Clay and some girl. She was tall, with blond hair and a suntanned skin.

"You're late." He said to Clay before he turned to the girl. "You're gonna introduce me to your date or what?" Nathan asked him.

"Nope." Clay simply replied.

"Why not?" Nathan asked confused.

"Because I'm not his date." Quinn said.

"I'm Clay by the way." He said shaking her hand.

"I'm Quinn, Haley's sister. And you must be Nathan." Quinn said turning toward Nathan.

* * *

><p><strong>So what do you think about it?<strong>

**Nathan saying the three words? Brucas' pregnancy? Jake, Lucas and Haley's families?**

**Are you excited about Clinn? Is there some Clinn fans out there?**

**Please review.**


	16. Author's note

**Hello guys! I know it's been months! I'm really sorry that I stopped to update. I'm planning to write another chapter if you want. I don't know if there are still people who are interested in that story but leave a review and I promise that if I have enough reviews I'll update. Yeah I need motivation. **

**One more thing I can't join my beta so I need a knew one. If you're willing to do it and help me please leave me a message. I just need someone to check my bad grammar and maybe sometimes help me with the plot even if I have an idea where I want it to end.**

**So leave a review and I will continue the story!**

**Have a nice day ;)**


	17. Chapter 15

**Hello my lovely readers I'm back! I so appreciate all the reviews, you've really motivated me to continue this story even after months. By the way sorry about that, you know life! So I'm warning you I couldn't reach my beta so I already apologize about all the gramatical mistakes. I really need a beta ASAP send me a message if you're interested it would help a lot.**

**About the story it's gonna be thanksgiving in april ahah! sorry.**

**Good reading and don't forget to review. And don't forget a lot of reviews means me updating fast!**

* * *

><p>"Haley!" Nathan called her loudly. "Come here, you're going to love this." He added so she would come faster.<p>

"You're gonna let us come inside or what? I'm freezing here." Quinn complained while frantically rubbing her arms to warm herself up.

"No wonder! Dude it's fucking november! I mean your arms aren't even covered." Clay pointed out.

"That's because it's like 90 degrees where I live. _Dude!_" Quinn replied emphazing on the last word to mock his poor choice of nickname.

Nathan let them come in and closed the door behind them. When Haley arrived in the hallway she looked like someone who just had seen a ghost.

"So you're gonna hug your favorite big sister or what?" Quinn asked while smirking.

Haley stood still for a few seconds with a blank look on her face before she gleefully shouted out loud and jumped into her sister's arms.

"What are you doing here? Why did you not tell me that you were coming?" Haley asked while still hugging Quinn tightly.

"I can leave if you want." Quinn teased her little sister.

"Don't be ridiculous. I'm just surprised, that's all." Haley said. She was a little taken aback.

Even if Haley was sincerely happy to see her sister especially since she hadn't seen her for a couple of years, she couldn't help but show reserve. Because Quinn was the closest to know about her story with Damien.

Two years ago, when everything went to hell, Haley could feel her sanity and her will to live slipping away. So she had called Quinn sobbing and told her everything. From the nightmare that she was living in since almost two years until this very night.

Quinn had just listened to her. She hadn't said anything or judged. They had never talked about it again.

"How long are you gonna stay?" Haley asked her putting her brightest smile on her face.

"Well... about that I'm planning to stay for a while so I was wondering if it was okay to stay here. I mean just to give me some time to find another place."

"I don't know... We don't have a room for you plus I don't know if the guys would be ok..." Haley said before Nathan cut her off.

"Haley you practically live at my place now, so maybe she could take your room. Plus Lucas is moving with Brooke." Nathan rushed to say imediately regretting his words. The last thing he wanted was to force Haley into something she wasn't ready for. He knew that she needed to move forward at her own pace. Otherwise she could be scared and would probably sabotage their relationship.

"If the guys are okay with it. You can take my room." Haley surprisingly said and Nathan almost sighed of relief.

"Thanks Hales! I'm pretty sure Jake will be okay with this, otherwise I'll kick his ass!"

Haley was upset. The only thing that she could think about was that she needed to have a conversation with her sister and make sure that Quinn would keep her mouth shut.

* * *

><p>Jake was sat at the edge of the pool, his feet in the water, smoking a cigarette.<p>

"I thought you were done with this shit." Yaël said to her brother as she took off her stilettos to sit next to him and put her feet in the water.

"Just give me a fucking break." Jake snapped, his eyes looking right in front of him at the San Francisco bay.

Jake's family was quite wealthy obviously not as rich as the Scotts, well according to Forbes the Scotts had just entered the billionnaire very exclusive club so there was no comparison here, but Jake's parents had always gave to their children everything they needed or wanted and had been able to pay Ivy league colleges for each one of them. Plus they had grew up in this palatial residence that David Jagielski himself had drawn the plans.

"You're his favorite you know... You're the one he loves the most." Yaël decided to break the silence which was setting in for a few minutes.

"Not anymore." He just said.

"He's hurt and he can't let it go for now, but he will, eventually."

"I'm a disappointment for him. And you know what it's not even close to the disappointment I feel. He's my father and he's supposed to support me no matter what. Because it's his damn job!" He paused. "I don't think it will ever be okay unless I move back here and work at the firm with you."

"God Jake! Just stop okay! You knew exactly when you left for New York what would be his reaction. I mean what did you expect? You broke his heart for fuck sake! Maybe it's a strong word but that's what it is. And I'm sorry it has to be like this but he's still talking to you. He never said that he didn't want to see you anymore. I know it's not the same but at least he tries."

"So it's supposed to be okay? Hell! I've done nothing wrong." Jake took offense.

"You want to hear about disappointment Jake? I'm working my ass off for years now and I'm doing my fucking best and I know I'm great at it. But he's never pleased because I'm not you and I never will." Yaël raised her voice as she was getting a little impatient with him.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be." Yaël replied softly. "I guess we both have a price to pay for doing what we really love."

"I guess." Jake sighed.

* * *

><p>"I'm so sorry Lucas! I didn't want to..." Brooke said to Lucas as she was crying.<p>

"Shhh!" Lucas cut her off putting his index finger on her mouth, then wipping the tears running down her cheeks. "Don't worry about it. My mother was out of line. I'm the one who is sorry for her."

"She hates me." Brooke said while pouting.

"She doesn't know you. I promise she's going to love you when she'll learn to know you."

"You don't know that." Brooke stated looking right into Lucas' eyes.

Her eyes shone like gems with her unshed tears acting as miniature diamonds.

"I just can't picture someone who doesn't love Brooke Scott." Lucas said provoking a hint of a smile on Brooke's lips.

"Soon to be Roe."

"Ah! That's more like it." Lucas pointed at before Brooke gave him a full smile. "God! You're beautiful."

"I know that." Brooke said while laughing.

"If every word I said could make you laugh, I'd talk forever."

"You always know the right thing to say huh?"

"I'm a writer? Finding the good words is kind of my job." He said before he chastely kissed her lips.

"You know I feel like I forced you to move in Manhattan. I didn't really asked if you were okay with it." Brooke said after a few seconds.

"You think?" Lucas said with a mocking smile.

"I'm a horrible fiancée. I'm gonna be a horrible wife!"

"Brooke I really don't care where I live as long as I can wake up to see your smile every morning and make love to you every night."

"Mmh... Every night, huh?" Brooke asked letting escaping a moan.

"Every. Single. Night." Lucas said kissing her between each word. "Starting tonight." He added before he started to suck on her neck more and more fervently.

"Do we really have to go back down there?" Brooke managed to ask as breathing was getting more and more difficult.

"I think we can take a few minutes and make the most of it." Lucas groaned in her neck.

"Thank god we can always count on your speed abilities." Brooke mocked him.

* * *

><p>Everyone except Brooke and Lucas had joined Quinn, Haley, Clay and Nathan in the hallway to greet Quinn. The emotion was palpable. Lydia and Jimmy James had teary eyes while Vivian was hugging her.<p>

"So where's the girl who is crazy enough to marry Lucas Scott? I need to say her good luck." Quinn said suddenly finding the atmosphere too overwhelming and Nathan cringed at her awkward remark.

"Oh she's a lovely girl! Very funny. You're going to love her." Lydia said to her daughter while Karen was rolling her eyes. She clearly disagreed with her old friend.

"And she's a brunette!" Haley pointed out mocking that Lucas used to always date dumb blondes.

"Now I'm definitely interested." Quinn replied.

They stayed in the hallway chattering for a few minutes before they all headed for the dining room to finally share the Thanksgiving meal and Brooke and Lucas had joined them to sit at the table.  
>Lydia said grace which caught Nathan and Brooke completely off-guard. When they were kids they had dinner alone most of the time because their father was always working and their mother was too depressed to even get out of her bedroom. It was the opposite extreme of the James family, nodoby started to eat before everyone was sat at the table, it was the first rule of the book.<p>

"You did not cook that." Taylor said to Haley after that she took a bite of the pumpkin pie.

"Yes I did." Haley lied to her sister.

"No you didn't. It's way too delicious. Your cooking skills are terrible."

"I'm sorry Hales but I have to agree this food is delightful. What's the caterer name?" Vivian asked to Haley.

"Gee! Maybe my skills have just improved." Haley took offence.

"Not that much. I mean you used to be really bad at it if I remember right." Quinn laid it on thick.

"Yeah right. And you're a cordon-bleu." Haley said sarcastically.

"Oh I know I suck! That's why I never cook."

"So? You're going to tell me the name of your caterer or what?" Vivian insisted.

"Nathan did everything." Haley admitted unwillingly after she sighed.

Her sisters used to tease her and Haley was tired of it. She wanted to impress them for once. So she asked her boyfriend to help her. Nathan had came early in the morning and had ended up to cook absolutely everything.

"He's a keeper honey!" Lydia said smiling brightly at Nathan.

"Wow! I'm totally impressed." Vivian told Haley.

"Really it's nothing." Nathan said a little embarrassed. "Haley has helped a lot anyway." He lied.

"Of course." Taylor added before she burst into laughter apparently she didn't buy what he had just said and Nathan mouthed a _'sorry'_ to Haley.

"I just don't understand Lucas. Why don't you want to come back to Tree Hill? It's a perfect place to raise a child." Karen asked to Lucas out of the blue.

"Mum!" Lucas warned his mother.

"You're going to ruin this kid just like her." Karen said as she was looking at Brooke.

"Mum stop! You don't even know her. If you just made an effort you'd love her." Lucas tried to convince Karen.

Nodoby dared to say a word and Brooke was cringing. She didn't understand why Karen despised her so much. Nathan was ready to explode while Lucas and Karen were continuing to fight. And Quinn and Clay had excused themselves on the pretext of looking for something in the kitchen.

"So that's your choice? You want to marry this one? She's so superficial and probably selfish as well. You can do so much bet..." Karen harshly said before Nathan cut her off.

"What the fuck?" Nathan whispered. He knew that he was about to being rude especially when there were kids at the table but he didn't really care.

"I beg your pardon?" Karen said to Nathan.

"Nate don't!" Brooke tried to stop her big brother.

"Your son is the lucky one not the other way around. No offence man." Nathan said to Karen then to Lucas.

"None taken." Lucas replied.

"Brooke is strong, kind, caring and I know that she will be an incredible mother. I know that for sure because she practically raised this one..." Nathan paused as he put his hand on Grace's shoulder. "She was only eighteen. I was in a very dark place... I mean she saved us. I don't know where we would be if she wasn't there. So Brooke is a lot of things but she's definitely not selfish." Nathan defended her and Brooke smiled at him to thank him.

* * *

><p>"In-laws!" Clay exclaimed.<p>

"I know right." Quinn replied while rolling her eyes.

"I don't know what is wrong with them though. Brooke is pretty awesome."

"So you're in love with her." Quinn stated while helping herself a glass of wine.

"Dude! I'm not." Clay defended himself using the nickname again.

"Oh yes you are _Dude_! What's the story? High school sweetheart?"

"She's just my best friend's little sister, that's all!"

"Okay but you're in love with your best friend's little sister. Come on! You can tell me. I won't say a word." Quinn insisted as she gulped down her drink.

"Did you look at her? I mean how couldn't I?" Clay said with his puppy dog eyes.

"I have to admit that she's gorgeous... How long?"

"Since the first day I've met her but I'm working on it. It's far from easy though because I see her every day."

"I don't think it's going to disappear."

"I guess I'm gonna have to learn to live with that."

Brooke was the reason why Clay had never settled down. The poor guy always compared girls that he dated with her.

* * *

><p>In San Francisco Yaël had convinced Jake to go back inside. Everything was going quite smoothly and Myriam had just served dessert.<p>

"I saw Leah the other day. You never gonna believe that." Shirel, Jake's elder sister said to him.

"What?" Jake asked without curiosity.

"She's married to Stuart!"

"So?" Jake didn't see what was so incredible about this.

"Wait? Stuart Hayden? Big ears Stuart Hayden?" Sarah asked.

"Lior accepted that her only daughter marry a goy?" Myriam was surprised.

"Oh it took years but he's converted now." Shirel explained.

"Good. What about you Peyton?" Myriam asked Peyton.

"Me? What do you mean?" Peyton was confused.

"Mum I don't think Peyt..." Jake tried to cut short this conversation. He never had discussed about it with Peyton and he wasn't sure it was a good idea to discuss it now.

"Is your name Peyton? I just want to know if she would be ready to be converted to judaism. You see Peyton, the Jewish status is passed down through the mother."

_'Great! Now the children talk!' _Jake thought to himself.

"I've never thought about it." Peyton said embarrassed. "But I guess everything is possible when you love someone." She added and Jake smiled at her relieved that she hasn't said bluntly that she didn't want kids.

Peyton hadn't changed her mind. She had just remembered a conversation that she had with Haley weeks ago. She had told her that it would kill Myriam Jagielski if her son wouldn't have children. So she decided to reply cleverly and avoid the real question hoping that it would work.

* * *

><p>In New York the atmosphere was heavier and heavier. Lucas had asked Karen to apologize to Brooke but she had refused categorically.<p>

"I think we should go." Lucas painfully said.

"You can't be serious."

"Mum I can't let you treat her that way. You know I love you but if you make me choose. I choose her."

"What?"

"I love her Mum." He simply replied before he wore his coat and left with Brooke.

"You would choose her over your family?" Karen asked in disbelief.

"She's my family now." Lucas simply replied before he grabbed Brooke's hand and took off with her.

"Don't worry about it." Lydia said to Nathan seeing that he had looked at Brooke worringly before she had left.

"I'm sorry what did you just say?" Nathan asked her after she had took him out of his reverie.

"I said that Karen will come around. She's just overprotective... Oh and I agree. Brooke seems to be a strong and kind woman. You're right Lucas is a lucky man."

"Thank you."

"I also appreciate it."

"What?" Nathan didn't see where she was coming from.

"You don't push her. I saw the way you look at her. Nevertheless you don't push her."

"I do love your daughter with all my heart but I also know that she's not ready to commit. But I have nothing but time. I don't go anywhere."

"You know she wasn't like this before. I can't say what it is but there's something different about her. Something is broken." Lydia said with a sad look on her face.

* * *

><p>The day was finally over and everyone had left. Nathan and Haley had came back in Manhattan and let Quinn and Clay clean the mess.<p>

Haley was lying against Nathan's chest as he was tangling his fingers in her blonde locks.

"You're sad Haley." Nathan broke the silence.

"I am not." Haley beg to differ.

"Yes. You are. I see your sadness eating you up inside and it's slowly killing me because I can't do anything except tell you I love you and hope that it will be enough."

Nathan was waiting for the day when she would open up but he also knew that this day wouldn't be today.  
>Haley retreated into silence afraid that the truth would scare him off. That he would runaway and never come back to her. She didn't want to admit yet that she loved him but she did and the idea of losing him terrified her.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Thoughts? It's not what I wanted to write but weirdly it led me here.<strong>

**Next time we finally will know what happened between Haley and Damian. Nathan won't though.**

**Please review!**


	18. Chapter 16

**You are so great! I'm glad I have wonderful readers like you. I appreciate the feedback really it made my week.**

**Here's a few words for the ones who don't have an account :**

**_Jojo89 : I don't like Karen in my story either and she won't stop to be a bitch. I liked Quinn and Clay in the show and honestly I don't know yet what am I gonna do with them._**

**_Aure : I don't know if you're the only one to worry about Jeyton but you're right to worry, well you'll see in the chapter after that one._**

**_CJ : Lol yep Karen is for real! It's not the life she wanted for her son and she's mad at Brooke for it._**

**_Nomie : Well we'll see if Karen is really gonna mess with Brucas but you know Lucas is a big boy. I don't if you really want to know about Damien and Haley because I can tell you that is really ugly._**

**_Denise : Thanks! I'm glad you liked it._**

**_Mary : Also thanks. Hope you're going to like this one and that you won't be disappointed._**

**_GG : Well welcome and thanks._**

**Now about this chapter there are a lots of flashbacks. We'll see Haley and Damien in the past and also Nathan and Victoire. I wanted to show what kind of relationship they had so you can see why they were acting like this now. Haley is damaged goods because of her dysfunctional and really messed up relationship it's hard for her to open up again. On the other hand Nathan had something refreshing and good with Victoire and he loved her so much that it was also hard for him to love someone again fearing that he could lose Haley too.**

**THIS CHAPTER HAVE SEXUAL CONTENTS YOU'VE BEEN WARNED**

**Enough with the rant and good reading!**

* * *

><p>"Brooke I'm not doing this!" Lucas stated while pouring some milk on his Cocoa puffs.<p>

"Broody! We already have discussed this." Brooke complained after that she had gulped down her orange juice.

"I'm not gonna marry you in front of five hundred people that I don't even know, that's insane!"

"That's not true. Nathan's gonna be there and you know him." Brooke put her case.

"That doesn't count because I can't stand him." He said as she rolled her eyes.

"I heard that!" Nathan told coming in his kitchen heading for the fridge.

"What about Haley and Jake or your parents?" Brooke asked ignoring her brother's comment.

"Speaking of which, where is Haley?" Lucas turned to Nathan.

"She left with Gracie to drop her off at school. Grace insisted to go with her and she had to see Quinn."

"Don't change of subject! Nate tell him that five hundred guests is not even a high number of guests."

"She's kidding right?"

"Hey you wanted her, you've got her!" Nathan replied as he started to make the waffle batter.

"And I'm starting to wonder what the hell I was thinking about!" Lucas teased Brooke and she hit his arm for that.

"Ouch!" Lucas cried in pain.

"Lucas! Focus. We have an appointment with Millicent Huxtable at two this afternoon."

"I know. You keep reminding me for an entire week now." Lucas sighed while Nathan was chuckling. If he was used to Brooke's tantrums apparently Lucas was still adjusting.

"She's the best wedding planner in the city. I'm so excited! Do you have any idea of what it takes to have an appointment with her? Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel, Ellen DeGeneres and Portia De Rossi, Sofia Coppola and Thomas Mars, it's all her. Now she's planning Halle Berry and Olivier Martinez's wedding. So can you please be grateful and stop complaining?"

"Sure. Anything for you Pretty girl." Lucas said before he kissed her forehead. He didn't insist. He had already experienced how scary a pregnant Brooke could be. "Did that girl plan your wedding too?" Lucas asked to Nathan innocently before Brooke gave him a death glare.

"No." Nathan simply said while continuing to make the waffle batter.

"I'm sorry I shoudn't have..." Lucas apologized.

"It's okay. Actually I proposed to Victoire with a plastic engagement ring and she said yes. We eloped and went to Vegas and Elvis married us. We had no guests." Nathan said amused as he was remembering.

"That's pretty cool. I want this."

"Not if you want to marry me." Brooke objected before she stood up.

"I'm gonna get ready for work." She added and kissed Lucas on the lips.

"But I'm making waffles for you. You need to eat for that baby of yours." Nathan protested.

"Nate if I'm not at work in an hour, the Nuclear Wintour is going to explode on me."

"How about you take a quick shower and I pick you some clothes and came back here to eat something." Lucas suggested before Nathan burst into laughter knowing that there was no way that his sister let him pick her clothes.

"Ha ha ha ha ha!... No! But I promise I'll eat something at work." She said before she disappeared.

"What was so funny?"

"Nothing." Nathan answered smiling.

"So how did you escape from that?" Lucas asked Nathan after a few minutes pointing at a _Wedding style _magazine on the table.

"Well everything went fast with Victoire. I fell in love with her the minute I saw her and married her a week after I've met her. So it wasn't like we had the time to plan anything."

"Now I know you're a crazy person. A normal person wouldn't do that. You fucking married her after a week?!"

**FLASHBACK**

It was already midnight, the place was crowded, _Hey ya _by Outkast was playing and the french girl that Nathan had met earlier hadn't still showed up. _'Great I've bought this for nothing!'_ Nathan thought to himself and was about to throw away the english-french dictionary when he finally saw her.

He moved forward slowly towards her. She wasn't even trying, her Levis' had this horrible high-waisted style from the early 90's and was full of holes, her tee was saying : _SAY NO TO POT roast, just because it's legal doesn't make it right. GO VEGAN. _Her Vans were covering with paint and she had tied her hair with a coloured pencil in a messy bun and still had some paint on her cheek. But oddly it worked for her, she probably was the only one girl who could pull this "style" off gracefully. All the other girls in the room were trying so hard and yet every guy was looking at her. She was beautiful, truly radiant.

"Bonjour, je suis heureux de te revoir.(1)" Nathan said with a thick accent. Earlier he had asked to one of his frat brother who took a french class to translate that for him.

"I really don't know what am I doing here." She replied with a lovely accent.

"So you speak english?" He asked surprised.

"Figured we wouldn't get very far seeing your non existent french skills." She mocked him smiling at him.

"Hey I was willing to learn." Nathan pretended to be offended.

"Just because of me?"

"I can't think about a better reason."

"Maybe just because french is a beautiful language." She shrugged.

"I think you're more beautiful."

"How would you know it? You don't even speak french."

"I just know." He said looking blissfully at her. "There's something I don't know though."

"What?"

"I don't know your name."

"Victoire, the name is Victoire. That's all you're going to get though. You could be a serial killer or something."

"I can't even have your number?" Nathan asked to her.

"I don't have a cell phone. So you don't deny that you could be a serial killer?" Victoire asked with a half smile.

"You realize it's 2005, right? How the hell am I supposed to contact you?" He said ignoring her question.

"And he still hasn't deny it." Victoire said to herself.

"Here's my number." He said writing his number on the palm of her hand. "Call me tomorrow morning or you'll never call me." He insisted.

"I don't know. You're still a serial killer in my book." She joked.

"No you do, you do. You never know I could be the one. I could propose to you in a week." He joked too.

"Good now he's crazy!"

"Yeah, I'm crazy about you."

"That was lame."

"Yeah that wasn't my best line." Nathan admitted. "Anyway you don't have anything to lose. If I were you I'd definitely call me."

**END OF FLASHBACK**

* * *

><p>Haley entered in her living room Clay was asleep on her couch. She went up the stairs two at a time hoping that she could find her sister. Quinn was in Haley's room, she was wearing her sports gear and was connecting her headphone to her ipod. She was ready to go running.<p>

"Hey! I was looking for you." Haley said closing the door behind her. "We need to talk."

"Sure! I go run and we can talk."

"Actually we need to talk now." Haley insisted putting on a stern face.

"Haley what's wrong? Are you okay? You're scaring me."

"I'm fine. It's just..." Haley trailed off.

"Are you pregnant?" Quinn tried to guess.

"Lord no!" Haley shouted. "That was totally random."

"So what is it?"

"About that phone call I gave you about two years ago..." Haley hesitated.

"You mean exactly two years ago or two years ago-ish? Because you called me a lot of times these past two years." Quinn pretented that she didn't know what Haley was talking about.

"Don't do this! You know exactly what i am talking about."

"I don't know Hales, I thought that I shouldn't mention it on any account."

"Don't play dumb."

"Alright."

"I was hoping you wouldn't say anything."

"Did we not already agree on that?" Quinn asked a little confused.

"Yeah... but you know I'm with Nathan now and he asks a lot of questions and I just don't want him to know."

"I don't really know what happened either. You just called me and couldn't stop crying. Then you started to explain what that son of a bitch had asked you to do but you never told me if you did it or not. So I'm gonna take a risk and ask you now. Did you do it?"

**FLASHBACK**

Haley was reading _Extremely loud and incredibly close_ by Jonathan Safran Foer in her king size bed waiting for Damien. It was already 2 am but she could ever bring herself to sleep before he was next to her in their bed. She had moved in his appartment next to the campus almost a year ago. All of her friends had tried to persuade her to not to, that she was way too young, that Damien wasn't good for her but she did it anyway. She was too deep into this relationship and too crazy about him. It was the first time that she was in love.

An hour later she heard the front door. He was finally home.

"Hey Baby doll!" Damien said and imediately crashing his lips on hers. She could smell alcohol on his breath. "I've wanted to do this all day long." He said huskily while touching a loose strand of her hair, wrapping it around his finger. "I'm gonna fuck you so hard!"

"Oh no! Not like this." Haley shook her head.

"Like what?" He asked his eyes darkening with desire.

"You're drunk and I'm not in the mood. I had a bad day."

"Let me make it better." He said leaning into her to kiss her and Haley turned her face away. As usual he was selfish and didn't care about what she wanted.

"I said no!" Haley shouted before Damien smirked and chuckled unfazed by her behavior. He took hold her stubborn little chin, bringing her face back to him and captured her mouth with an hungrily passionate kiss.

Damien knew what Haley liked and how she liked it and he was going to use this knowledge to make her give him what he wanted.

"I'd bet my life that your pussy is fucking wet for me right now." Damien said before Haley slapped him.

"Bastard!" She shouted.

"Baby you're turning me on."

Haley gave up and captured his lips. She was so ashamed of herself and she knew that the situation was screwed up but she couldn't help it. Damien slipped his tongue inside and Haley moaned. His hands slid up her night blue silk babydoll and grabbed a hold of her black lace panties, ripping them off of her. He unbottoned his jeans pulling out his hard rock member and opened her legs before he shoved into her. Haley whimpered at the sudden harsh invasion but pleasure soon followed as he repetedly thrust into her.

"Damien." She groaned wrapping her legs around him.

He was rough and even though she knew that what he was doing to her was raw and untamed, she didn't care. It was too fucking good to stop anyway. She wanted it to last but couldn't stop herself from coming so she gave in and let it happen before he collapsed onto her.

"You're mine." He whispered possessively to her trying to catch his breath.

"I'm yours." She replied.

"I really fucking love you."

"Damien?" Haley called him after a few minutes of silence.

"Yeah?" He said his eyes still closed.

"What happened tonight?" She asked knowing that there was something wrong.

"Nothing. I've just lose a lot of money."

"I told you to stop with those poker games. How much did you lose?"

"About a million."

"What?!"

"I know I'm screwed. These guys are really bad and they want the money at the end of the week." Damien told her.

"For god's sake Damien!" Haley said fearing for her boyfriend's life.

**END OF FLASHBACK**

* * *

><p>"So you proposed to her after a week because of that lame pick up line?"<p>

"No. I just felt like it." Nathan simply replied shrugging.

"Now that just makes sense." Lucas said rolling his eyes while eating his cocoa puffs.

**FLASHBACK**

Nathan was watching Victoire doing her ballet barre workout. She had fixed a date and he was early. She didn't see him because she was so focus on what she was doing. She was so graceful and stunning that Nathan thought he could have watched her forever. He stayed here a smile on his face for half an hour just looking at her. He didn't know what the fuck was happening to him. He barely knew her and he was already falling.

"Why did you not tell me that you were already there?" Victoire asked him after that she had finally noticed his presence.

"I don't know. You seemed to be in your element, kinda like when I'm playing football."

"Wait! Your last name is Scott, right?"

"That should be it." Nathan replied. He didn't know where she was coming from.

"Nathan Scott, quaterback of the Yale Bulldogs?"

"That's me!" Nathan said proudly with a cocky smile.

"Did you know that there is a line to get to you?" Victoire said mocking him.

"I heard but I'm not some carnival ride. I pick the girl I date. I don't go by a stupid line that girls made!" He said a little annoyed.

"Hey easy player! I just wanted you to know that some Rachel was next on the list." She said laughing. Her laugh was ridiculous, the kind that was so ridiculous that it was contagious. They couldn't stop laughing.

"So are we gonna get that dinner or what?" He said a few minutes later after that he had catched his breath.

"I don't know... I woudn't want to get into trouble with that Rachel." Victoire kidded.

"You silly! Would you go get ready so we can have this damn dinner?"

"Give me twenty minutes, just the time to take a quick shower and put some clothes on." She said before she walked towards the locker room.

Nathan had expected that she would be late but Victoire was ready in twenty minutes stopwatch in hand! They ended up at his place. Nathan cooked for her. He was impressed by her appetite, he had never seen a girl eating that much. He wondered how she could stay that skinny.

"Woman! Where do you put all that food?"

"What? I'm not going to starve myself." She said before she took a bite of her vegan burger.

"At least I know that you like my cuisine."

"Not bad for an american." She teased him.

"Especially since I don't do this very often. You're a lucky girl."

"Oh! I forgot. You don't need to make any effort, they get in line for you." She teased him.

"Oh my god! You're never gonna drop this, are you?" He smiled at her.

"Never!"

After that they finished their dinner they watched Singing in the rain. They knew all the lines by heart and they even mimiced the characters.

They talked and laughed and for the first time Nathan was himself with a girl. He wasn't Nathan Scott the heir of the Scott Group, he was just Nathan.

"You never told me what you were saying the first time I speak to you."

"Basically I said that you were an idiot."

"Soon you'll can't insult me in french anymore because I just took a french class."

"Oh! I should make the most of it. Tu ne le sais pas encore et j'arrive pas à y croire mais je crois que je suis en train de craquer pour toi. (2)" She said in french.

"And what did you just say?"

"I'm going to let you figure it out. You take french lessons right? One day you'll understand." She said before he sighed.

"So you're coming back in two weeks?" Nathan asked her.

"Yeah I need to take care of some stuffs in Paris."

They had met a week ago and had spent all their free time together, just enjoying each other company. And eventhough Nathan would have died to kiss her, he still hadn't make a move.

"I'm going to really miss you." He said looking right into her eyes stroking her cheek.

"In french you don't really say _'I miss you.' _You say _'Tu me manques' _which is closer to _'You are missing from me.' _I think it's beautiful, you know I love that, _'You are missing from me', _you are a part of me, you're essential to my being, like a limb, an organ or blood. Like I can't function without you." Victoire managed to say before Nathan captured her lips for the very first time.

"Marry me." He whispered against her lips.

"Yeah right!" She burst into laughter.

"I'm serious. I can't picture myself not being in love with you." Nathan cupped his head into his hands. He didn't know why he was doing this but he couldn't help it. She just seemed inevitable.

"So you're in love with me now? Nathan you don't even know me. Three hours ago I didn't know your last name."

"Maybe you're right. But I just feel it in my guts. That this thing between us happens once in a lifetime."

"I shouldn't have kissed you. I knew that you couldn't handle it!" She joked.

"God! You're so cool!"

"I feel like Alabama Whitman in True Romance except for the whole call girl thing."

"She's the one to say to the guy that he's cool you know?"

"I know and you're kind of cool too." She stated before she kissed him again.

**END OF FLASHBACK**

"We went to Vegas the same night." Nathan said to Lucas.

"That's a good story for a book."

"If only my dear father had thought the same way." Nathan sighed.

"He didn't approve?"

"I should have married Peyton. That was the plan, well, that was our parents' plan. When I came back with Victoire he just cut me off."

"It's hard to imagine you with Peyton."

"We dated during High school, on and off. We were terrible. Mostly because of me."

"I see that you were already a douchebag."

"Because you were such a good boy in High school."

"She never talk about your father." Lucas said suddenly after a few minutes of silence.

"That's because there's nothing good to say about him. For example he wanted Brooke to marry Damien fucking West! I mean what kind of father would want that for his daughter?"

* * *

><p>"Haley! Did you do it?" Quinn asked looking at Haley who had teary eyes.<p>

**FLASHBACK**

"Oh my god Damien! What happened to your face?" Haley panicked when she saw him with a black eye and a bloody nose.

"My father doesn't want to give me the money. He said that it would teach we a lesson."

"But they're gonna kill you!" Haley said while a single tears streamed down her face.

"I'm gonna be okay Babe. I have a plan."

"Okay what's the plan?"

"Daunte, he has a thing for you. He told me that he could forget about the million if you spend a night with him." Damien said calmly caressing her cheek.

"You can't be serious!" Haley shook her head in disbelief.

"You know I wouldn't ask you if I had the choice. But what can I do?"

"I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU!" Haley yelled hitting him and crying hysterically. "YOU SON OF A BITCH!"

"I'm sorry Babe. I wish there was another way." He said looking into her eyes wearing his puppy dog eyes knowing that it would work on her.

In reality it wasn't him that she hated, it was herself because she was seriously considering to do it in her mind and she truly hated herself for that.

"We're never gonna get through this." Haley said after at least ten minutes. Just the time to calm down.

"If we can't pass through this it means that we don't belong to each other. I love you Haley but do you love me?"

"I love you so much that it hurts."

"So would you do this for me?" He asked waiting for her answer even if he already knew what she was about to reply. He knew too well what kind of power he had on her.

"I'll do it."

"Thank you. Now would you be a doll and bring me some ice? My face hurts." Damien said cynically.

That night Haley cried herself to sleep.

**END OF FLASHBACK**

"Of course not!" Haley lied.

Quinn inspected her face. She wasn't sure that Haley was saying the truth but she didn't push it, she knew that it would be useless. Haley wasn't ready to talk and there was nothing she could do about it.

* * *

><p><strong>(1) Hello, I'm happy to see you again.<strong>

**(2) You don't know it yet and I can't believe it but I think I'm maybe falling for you.**

**So are you shocked? There's gonna be others flashbacks especially with Haley and Damien. You have no idea what a fucking bastard he is yet.**

**Next time :**

**Brucas and the wedding planner**

**Damien's gonna cause some trouble for a change**

**Trouble in paradise for Jeyton**

**See you soon**

**PS : **You know how it works more reviews = me updating faster! So be kind and review!****


	19. Chapter 17

**Oh my God! Almost 300 reviews, I can't believe this! You are truly amazing.**

**I've just learned that NBC had picked up the show Crisis and James in a part of the cast! So excited! Guys we're going to see his perfect face every week again!**

**As usual a few words for the ones who don't have an account :**

_**lucy :**_** I'm happy you liked it so far and welcome. I like to have new readers.  
><em>kate<em> : Thank you hope you're not going to be disappointed with this chapter.  
><em>Lily21<em> : Lol! Do you realize that if Nathan kills him he propably would end up in jail? But hey I'll think about it. ahah! Ikr? Nathan was crazy to propose after a week. True Romance is one of my favorite movie.  
><em>Guest<em> : Wow another knew reader. Thank you for taking the time to read the whole story.  
><em>Nomie<em> : It's also one of my favorite chapter. Yeah you're right, Haley and Damien were a little like Chuck&Blair and the whole Empire debacle. Me too. Sometimes when I write about Victoire I'm sad that she's dead. Alabama Whitman rocks! Luke and Nate tolerate each other but they don't like each other far from that actually, at least for now. There's some Jeyton in this chapter.  
><em>GG<em> : I dispised Damien West with all my heart as well hun ;)  
><em>ILUVNALEY<em> : But that's the thing, she just couldn't runaway from him. Vathan? Lol! Yeah Nathan was a player and apparently girls were getting in line. What can I say? I'd get in line too. I mean did you see his face?  
><em>Packers<em> : Ahah you made my day! No unfortunately Damien West gonna make some damages again.  
><em>OTHFan<em> : I hate hi too baby!  
><em>Jessica<em> : You're totally right to be scared. Well obviously Nathan won't be happy about it, it's gonna get really really really mad.  
><em>Sue<em> : aww thank you! Hope you will like this one.  
>Elisabeth : I'm pretty serious. Maybe it would be even worse than you thought. The reason is that Haley doesn't think straight when this is about Damien West. Lol I know I hate myself for writing it like this but I don't know I like when things are twisted and complicated.<strong>

**Here's the new chapter it have some SEXUAL CONTENTS YOU'VE BEEN WARNED**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>"Maybe june or july." Lucas hesitantly replied to Millicent Huxtable.<p>

"A summer wedding. How original!" Brooke said while rolling her eyes.

"You don't seem to be very fond of his idea Miss Scott." Millicent said taking some notes.

"Well first of all, I'll be seven months pregnant in june and second of all, everybody have their wedding in summer."

"That's probably because everybody loves summer, it's... I don't know... sunny." Lucas commented.

"Not everybody." Brooke said as Millicent watched the two of them.

"But everything is dead in winter."

"Yeah but there are no annoying little insects, no pollen, more night time to look at the stars, you're not sweating all the time, the air is nice and fresh smelling, and snow... snow makes everything better and magical."

"It's ridiculous we're in New York so with all these lights it's impossible to look at the stars and the air is stinking and polluted all year along." Lucas argued.

"You're right! Maybe we should get married in the Hamptons, we have a mansion there. The Hamptons are charming in winter and the smell of the ocean always clears your head." Brooke said enthusiastically.

"I'm gonna compromise. How about may?" Lucas tried.

"I'll still be six months pregnant in may." Brooke made a face. "Honey, I want to wear the dress of my dream, I want to look like a princess, not a big fat cow!" she added pouting.

"Ugh! Enough with the face. You're not playing fair and square." Lucas complained.

"So that's settled. We're going to marry this january in my great grandfather's old mansion. It's going to be beautiful!" Brooke announced with a huge smile on her face.

"Hey I didn't say yes!" Lucas protested.

"Oh puh-lease! You didn't stand a chance with this gorgeous face of mine."

"Cocky much don't you think?" Lucas said trying to hide the smile threatening to appear on his face. He liked that she was so confident but he liked to tease her even more.

"You're mistaking cockiness for confidence. That's not quite the same darling."

"Okay january wedding in the Hamptons it is." Lucas said turning to Millicent who was still writing everything down.

"Great! Now I need a precise date to schedule everything." Millicent said as they all took their phones.

"Early in january would be great because february is all booked with the fashion weeks and it takes a lot of planning."

"Wait! When you said fashion weeks, you meant that you're going to plan but you're not going to go, right? Well you can go to the New York one but tell me you're not gonna fly to Europe while you're pregnant with my child." Lucas asked to his fiancée a little worried. "Brooke?" He added waiting for an answer.

"Honey, I basically live for this! I'm not sick, I'm just pregnant. Besides the doctor said it was okay."

"I wasn't there when he said that so it doesn't count!"

"You're being ridiculous!"

"I'm being protective." Lucas insisted.

"You're being stubborn." Brooke begged to differ.

"Brooke... If something happens to you..." He trailed off looking intensely into her hazel eyes or were they green? He never seemed to know. "To the two of you... I'd never be able to forgive myself."

"Okay." She murmured softly. "We'll figure something out."

"You two make a lovely couple." Millicent was looking blissfully at them. She had planned over a hundred weddings but it never ceased to amaze her. "So how about the 12th?" She checked her PDA.

"It's good for me, what about you Pretty girl?"

"I think I can manage it."

"Good. Now about the guests. How many?"

"Try something like the entire Luxembourg's population." Lucas said sarcastically.

"Approximatively five hundred people." Brooke chose to ignore him.

"Okay. Do you already have a dress or...?"

"No but Vera is working on it." She informed her casually like it was no big deal.

"Who is Vera?" Lucas asked to Brooke.

"Honey you're embarrassing me." She spoke under her breath.

"What?" He said confused as Millicent let escaped a giggle.

"Nevermind." Brooke sighed.

"Alright. I see you in a couple of days. I have your numbers. In the meanwhile think about a theme we'll see for the rest next time. Oh! I almost forgot who's going to walk you down the aisle?" Millicent said after that she checked her watch.

"...I ... I have no idea." Brooke managed to say drowning into her thoughts.

* * *

><p>Nathan was watching the advertizing with Brooke and Grace for the first time and as much as it cost him he had to admit it was pretty good, actually it was great!<p>

"Not bad, huh?" Peyton said to Nathan.

"Hey you're back."

"So? What do you think about it?"

"It's kinda hard to wrap my head around the fact that my only daughter, MY baby girl is going to be on TV and put up all across the world. I really don't like this. She's growing up."

"Well she has to... eventually." Peyton pointed out before he sighed. "She's beautiful. She looks a lot like her mother."

"I know." Nathan sighed again. "So, California, was it good?" He changed of subject. The previous one was too painful.

"Not really. I think I'm loosing him Nate."

"Why? What happened?"

"Nothing. It's just... He wants kids and I really don't want one and his mother has started to tell me about how I'll have to convert to judaism because the jewish status is passed down through the mother and I just can't... I can't. It's not what I want." Peyton said starting to panic.

"And it's okay." Nathan calmly said putting his hands on her shoulders. "Does he want kids right now?"

"No! But the time will come."

"Do you love him?"

"Of course I love him."

"Are you happy?"

"More than ever." Peyton replied with teary eyes which is not prevented her from grinning.

"Then I think it's worth it."

"But he's gonna leave me sooner or later. Maybe I should find someone who has the same expectations."

"Maybe. But don't you think it's better to be so happy with your true love to the point that it's overwhelming even if it is just for a few months or a few years than to be just okay with someone you like for your whole life."

* * *

><p>Haley was dialing Nathan's number when Damien West came in her office. She hurried to hang up her phone as he was standing in front of her wearing his annoying smirk. She wanted to slap him and yet she was attracted to him, again she didn't have a choice here, it was like physics you wish you could fly and escape but gravity was always there to keep your feet to the ground.<p>

"I thought that I made myself clear." She said dryly.

"And I thought that we had stopped to pretend that you weren't still in love with me."

"What are you doing here Damien?" She was getting impatient. No it wasn't that. In fact she was afraid of herself, how weak she seemed to be when she was around him.

"I already told you. You're losing your time. I love Nathan." Haley said surprised by her own words. It was the first time that she said it out loud.

"And he loves you and blah, blah and blah." He mocked her approaching dangerously towards her.

"Don't move." She mumbled shyly.

"I'm gonna tell you something though. I can't deny it, he loves you but he will never love you as much as her. I saw him with her, the way he looked at her, how he was acting around her. It was the love of his life, even someone as cynical as me could saw it."

Damien wasn't lying for once. But it's not because he was believing in what he was saying that it was true. Sure Nathan seemed disgustingly in love back then, and yeah he showed his love more than now but it wasn't because he loved Haley less than Victoire. It was because life hadn't damaged him for good yet. In the past he was willing to fall in love, from the beginning he had truely embraced his feelings, on the other hand he was deeply broken now, so deeply that he wasn't able to give anything to Haley. When she had showed up in his life, he didn't want to be with her or anyone else for that matter, he had fight so hard against what he felt for her. It was in this sense that his love for Haley was out of the ordinary. For her he managed to keep his head above water and live again.

"Why are you doing this to me?" She said weakly.

"Because I want to try again. I promise it will be different." He used his best game, looking deeply in her eyes with his killer smile. "I love you Hales. I really fucking love you." He finally said before he captured her lips in a slow lazy kiss and a few seconds later Haley slapped him strongly.

Damien meant it. Otherwise why bother? Just for the sake of being evil? No, he did love her, in a very twisted kind of way, but still, he loved her. Paradoxically, he didn't care about her, he didn't care about her feelings, he didn't care about what she really wanted. He just cared about him and what he wanted was her.

"You bas..." She shouted before he cut her off capturing her lips once again but roughly this time.

"Your mine, remember?" He said huskily against her lips.

Damien send flying all the documents on her desk and put her up on it before he started to smother her with kisses, she was moaning with pleasure. He couldn't had enough of her, he needed to possess her like he used to. He ripped off her shirt revealing her nude lace bra then began to bite and suck on her neck knowing that it will probably bruise while massaging her left breast. He was about to unhook her bra when she pushed him away.

"I can't do this." Haley said while catching her breath. "You need to leave."

"Whatever you want Baby doll." Damien said putting up his hands. "But remember that I love you and that I'm not going anywhere." He added in a very creepy way almost threatening her as he was stroking her cheek.

* * *

><p>"So what do you think Buttercup? After your appointment we could go eat something in a vegetarian restaurant and go the theater and watch Wreck it Ralph. Maybe I could call Haley. It's friday night after all." Nathan suggested to his daughter taking her schoolbag.<p>

"I think that's terrific!" Grace said excitedly.

"Good I'm calling her." Nathan dialed Haley's number and waited for her to pick up her phone.

"Hey you." Haley was ill-at ease but Nathan didn't seem to notice.

"Hey Beautiful, are you going to work late tonight?"

"No. I'm about to leave actually."

"Are you okay? It's only 3 pm." Nathan was surprised.

"I'm fine. I've just finished a press conference and I thought that I could go home and spent some time with Gracie. Kelly could take her day off."

"Kelly doesn't work today. I'm with Gracie, I've just picked her up from school." Nathan explained as he put his hand on Grace's head messing up with her hair to tease her.

"Daddy stop!" Grace shouted. "I like when my hair is impeccable, mind you?" She said with a haughty tone while fixing her hair.

"Did you hear that?" He speak on the phone. "She's turning into Brooke more and more each day." He said laughing with Haley.

"She's precious."

"Yeah anyway, I was thinking that we could go eat out and watch a movie at the theater, you're in?"

"I don't know, I was thinking to stay home, make a snowman and have a snowball fight in your garden and maybe have some party games near the fireplace."

"That seems nice but I said to Brooke 2.0 that we were going to see Wreck-it Ralph and if she react anything like the original Brooke she's gonna throw a temper tantrum like there's no tomorrow." Nathan joked.

"Hey I never do that!" Grace exclaimed.

"I know Buttercup, I'm trying to convince Haley." Nathan whispered to his daughter.

"Okay we're going out." Haley sighed.

* * *

><p>Peyton hesitantly knock on the door and was more than surprised when Clay opened the door.<p>

"What the fuck are you doing here?"

"I stayed to clean the house with Quinn." Clay casually replied as she entered in.

"And who the hell is Quinn?"

"That would be me." Quinn said going down the stairs. "Hey."

"I'm Peyton, Jake's girlfriend also friend with Brooke and Nathan and incidently with this schmuck."

"You're killing me." Clay complained.

"Quinn. I'm Haley's sister."

"Shut up!" Peyton said to Clay "And nice to meet you Quinn." she turned to Quinn before she shook her hand. "I'm sorry, I don't like to be rude but I need to talk to Jake."

"Oh don't worry. He's upstairs." Quinn smiled at her "He promised me to take me to his place to play at Guitar Hero. He said that he's going to beat me."

"Dude! You don't stand a chance."

"Gee! That's your new trick to take a girl at your place? And I already told you stop with the whole "dude" thing." Peyton teased him.

"Don't worry I have a black belt in Tae kwon do." She informed Peyton before turned to Clay. "Are we going or what?"

"After you." Clay replied before they disappeared.

Peyton slowly went up the stairs apprehending the next conversation. She wanted to listen to Nathan and enjoy the time that they will have together with Jake but there was a little voice in the back of her mind which said that the more she would wait the more it would hurt to let him go.

When she came in his room he was listening some artworks. She walked towards him on tip toes and hugged him from behind.

"How was your day."

"My day has just got better." Jake replied closing his eyes and savoring the moment.

"Jake?"

"mmh?"

"I need to talk to you about something." She hesitated.

"I'm listening." He said his eyes still closed.

"How are you picturing yourself ten years from now?"

"I don't know... I'm more of a present guy. I don't live in the past and I don't plan my future."

"Can you just try please?"

"Okay." He sighed. "Ten years from now... fuck! I don't know Peyton." He turned around to face her.

"I think you do. But you're afraid to tell me."

"What this is all about?"

"I think you want children and it's great; really it's great. It's just that I don't have it in me. I'm not a mother and I never will. This is just not who I am."

"Peyton, I want you more." Jake said putting his forehead on hers.

"You're saying that now but later you're going to change your mind and I don't want you to hate me for that."

"Don't you get it? I can't hate you. I couldn't possibly hate you."

* * *

><p>Grace had fell asleep in the cab. It was already late. The evening went well besides the fact that Haley hadn't eaten a thing. Nathan tried to not worry and thought that she probably didn't feel well, but he couldn't help it. He was remembering his conversation with Jake, that Haley had ended up at the hospital because she had lost too much weight and refused to eat.<p>

After that he had carefully put Grace in her bed he got to his room. _'Love will tear us apart', _the _Broken Social Scene _cover was playing on the sonos playbar.

_When the routine bites hard_

_And ambitions are low_

_And the resentment rides high_

_But emotions wont grow_

_And were changing our ways,_

_Taking different roads_

_Then love, love will tear us apart again_

Haley was slowly dancing her eyes closed, spinning around in her nude lace bra and matching panties, a glass of wine in her hand. _'God! She's so fucking beautiful!" _Nathan thought to himself.

"Hey Beautiful!" Nathan said heading for her.

"I was waiting for you." Haley started to walk towards the bed.

"Don't move." He commanded her, his fingers tangled into her gold hair before he kissed her gently.

He slowly started to kiss her neck, taking his time. "I want you to relax. Let me do all the work." Nathan mumbled, barely above a whisper.

_Why is the bedroom so cold_

_Turned away on your side?_

_Is my timing that flawed,_

_Our respect run so dry?_

_Yet theres still this appeal_

_That weve kept through our lives_

_Love, love will tear us apart again_

It was the most amazing feeling ever. He was killing her slowly with his mouth. The feeling was so intense that she could had fall backwards, she was thankful that Nathan was holding her in place grabbing her ass. He was relentless as his tongue flickered continuously over her sensitive nub. He wouldn't stop, he was making her crazy, pushing her to the limit, bringing her to the brink only to stop when she was about to go over the edge.

_Do you cry out in your sleep_

_All my failings expose?_

_Get a taste in my mouth_

_As desperation takes hold_

_Is it something so good_

_Just cant function no more?_

_When love, love will tear us apart again_

He looked up at her with a devilish grin on his gorgeous face. "Do you want me to continue Beautiful?"

"Nathan! Please." She moaned.

He burried his head between her legs and started all over again building her up into a wild frenzy. Her blood was running hot and buzzing through her veins. She couldn't take it anymore, her body exploded in pleasure, the glass of wine slipped from her hand shattering on the ground.

For a moment she didn't think about Damien West and how she screwed up. It was only Nathan and her in their little world. '_If only we could never get out of this room' _Haley thought to herself.

* * *

><p><strong>So? How was it? I know some of you will hate me and I'm sorry but it just how the strory goes but I promise it will be okay at the end.<strong>

**Please review! You know how it works, the more I get reviews the faster I'll update. See you soon!**


	20. Chapter 18

**Thanks to all the people who continue to read my story, favorited it or followed it and of course thanks to the few who left a review, I really appreciate it.**

**A few words for the ones who left a review as a guest :**

_**Nomie : Yeah it's becoming darker. Life is not full of light you know well sometimes it is but not everytime. I'm glad you noticed that even if Damien was evil he still had feelings, everyone is complicated it's not black or write there are shades of grey. You'll see about Haley and Jeyton in this chapter. You're right Luckily everything is okay for Brucas.  
>Emma : Don't be too hard on Haley. It's not that simple. She just doesn't think straight.<br>Mar : I understand that you're confused but everything will be a bit clearer in the chapter after this one. It means flashbacks.  
>Elisabeth : Haley is struggling with herself now she will come clean eventually.<br>Julia : I knew that some of you would be really mad at Haley right now but she has a lot on her plate try to be more comprehensive. I know it's hard I'm kind of mad at her as well because poor Nate.  
>Susan : First of all thanks! Second of all well of course there are some explanations and Haley think she doesn't deserve happiness, she's completely broken so she just sabotage her relationship with Nathan because she thinks he's too good for her. Please don't stop reading I promise the end is worth it.<br>Jules : There will be flashbacks in the chapter after this one.  
>Katy : Aww! thank you so much.<br>ILUVURSTORY : I really don't know about Clinn for now. But maybe.**_

**So I wanted to say that I wasn't anorexic so I don't pretend I know how people with eating disorders feel but I'm a med school student and I did an internship in a special care unit. But anyway if you think it's not realistic or if some of you have eating disorders and think that it's not realistic please let me know. I don't want to hurt anyone and I'm going to write about this for quite long because people with eating disorders have to leave with that all their lives, it's not like in tv shows when a girl is boulimic or anorexic for just an episode and then it's all over.**

**Anyway good reading hope you'll like it.**

* * *

><p>A ray of sunlight had gotten through the shutters waking Haley up. She slowly opened her eyes and looked to her right, Nathan had already left. She sat and smiled when she saw the usual note that he had left.<p>

_Morning Beautiful!_

_I'm sorry for the bruise on your neck. I was surprised, I didn't think I was biting that hard, you're too delicious I guess. See you tonight. Love you._

Her smile vanished and suddenly she started to feel very sick; sick of herself. She had a knot in her stomach. How she could be so stupid, making the same mistakes over and over again.

She wore her robe and her slippers before she lamely went down the stairs. She had hardly set foot in the kitchen that Brooke jumped on her.

"Morning Haley!" Brooke said gleefully.

Brooke had the perfect pregnancy, perfectly ridiculous, like one of these celebrities who strike a pose and tell their marvelous experience on the women magazines glazed paper. Brooke was glowing, more beautiful than ever, she was energetic, she ate healthy and she took yoga classes. So cliché.

"Hey Brooke. How you doing?" Haley asked forcing a smile.

"I'm okay but I have so many things to do, you know between the wedding, work and the penthouse to decorate." Brooke explained while eating strawberries.

"Maybe if you quit your job..." Lucas hinted.

"How many times will I have to tell you this? I can't quit now, not before the fashion week."

"I was just trying." Lucas said raising his hands before he turned over the omelette in the frying pan. "Hales." He called her.

"What?"

"I need a favor."

"Do tell." Haley sighed as she helped herself a cup of coffee.

"I was thinking that maybe you would accept to be my best man, I mean my best woman or best person. I really don't know w..."

"Does it imply to wear a fancy dress?" She really didn't feel like wearing one of those dresses.

"You'll can wear whatever the fuck you want."

"Then I accept." She casually gave her answer.

"Wait! What did you mean? She'll have to wear a proper dress." Brooke protested.

"Brooke!" Lucas warned her.

"We'll see about that." Brooke decided to drop the subject for now while Lucas served Haley.

"I'm sorry. I'm not really hungry." Haley apologized to Lucas.

"Too bad because Nate asked me to make sure that you eat something before you leave. Apparently you didn't eat anything last night." Brooke hurried to say.

"Are you okay Hales?" Lucas asked concerned.

"Yeah! I'm good, it's just that work is intense, I'm stressed I guess." Haley lied. "But you're right Brooke I should eat something." She added to reassure them.

Actually she didn't intend to eat anything but she knew how to fool people. She had years of practice. First step : Talking... a lot! She was good at talking, she talked for a living. Second step : You continue to do that when you're cutting things up again and again. Third step : Ask questions, the goal is to distract them from what was really happening just in front of their eyes.

"So fashion week sounds exciting. I mean London, Milan, Paris... It's amazing! And I bet you're going to meet some very important people. I don't know too much about fashion unfortunately." Haley chose a subject that she knew would keep Brooke interested while cutting her omelette.

"Oh Haley! You have no idea. Last year was incredible. You should have seen the Balmain runway, awesome! And Chanel, well Chanel is always spectacular. Maybe one day you'll come with me." Brooke said to Haley while Haley continued to cut her food.

"Oh I'd love to! Lucas this is delicious! Here Brooke you should taste it." Haley said very enthusiastically as she gave almost half of her omelette to Brooke. Haley hadn't even taken a bite but thanks to her trick nobody had noticed.

"Thanks." Brooke replied.

"Yum! Those strawberries seem tasty. Can I have some?" Haley continued as she took a handful of strawberries and put them in her plate.

"See! You were hungry." Lucas said with a smile.

"Brooke did you choose a decorator for the penthouse yet?" Haley asked as she munched on a strawberry then put it back in her plate.

"Actually Lucas is going to meet her this afternoon. I can't go. I'm way too busy but I gave him all the intructions." Brooke replied and Haley was still cutting, she approached a piece of omelette and opened her mouth wide but finally put her fork down.

"I can't believe I agreed for this." Lucas complained before Haley checked her watch.

"God! I've gotta go. I'm so full!" Haley said before she quickly cleared her plate and left the kitchen.

Lucas and Brooke believed her but it was just an illusion. In fact she hadn't even eaten a whole strawberry.

* * *

><p>"What are you doing?" Jake asked to Peyton while she was collecting all of her things that were in the bathroom.<p>

"I can't do this anymore Jake." Peyton said still gathering her things together.

"Listen to me!" Jake tried to draw her attention. "Peyton!" He shouted. "For fuck's sake can you stop?" He finally said before she stopped.

"I'm sorry." She simply replied.

"I thought we were okay. We've discussed it last night and we were okay. I don't get it Peyton. What's happening?"

"Jake I love you but..."

"Sshh!" He cut her off putting his index on her mouth to silence her.

"Nothing else matters." He tried to convince her looking right into her teary eyes. He knew that he was wasting his time, she had already made her decision. He could see it in her eyes.

"I wish you were right. But you and I aren't naïve. We know that it's more complicated than that." Peyton said regretful.

"But I want you to stay." He begged her.

"I want to stay too. But we don't always get what we want. Do we?" Peyton said with a shaking voice and caressing his cheek. A few seconds later she was gone.

Jake was standing still alone in the bathroom a million thoughts through his mind. There was a french expression for that, it was called "L'esprit de l'escalier", that feeling you get when you leave a conversation and think of all the thing you should have said. But then again, he loved her more than he probably could ever say or even show, so what was the point?

* * *

><p>"What about Birdy?"<p>

"Can we pick someone who actually write songs? I mean she's a fucking fraud, she just does covers of some hype indie bands. I really can't stand her." Lucas responded to Brooke.

"Oh! maybe I can see if we could have Rihanna. It's probably gonna cost the entire military budget of this country but hell! She's worth it."

"I wouldn't want her to sing at our wedding even if she paid us. My God! You have terrible tastes. Next you're going to tell me that you want Nicki Minaj." Lucas teased her.

"Honey we have to choose someone. Why do you have to be so damn difficult?" Brooke got impatient.

"Because you're so hot when you're all worked up." Lucas flirted with her as he grabbed her by the waist and put her on his lap.

"Lucas! This is serious. I dream about this day since my mother read me all those princess stories." Brooke said with emotion in her voice.

"I'm sorry Baby. I'm an idiot. I promise that it's going to be perfect just like you dreamed." Lucas apologized before he leaned towards her and softly kissed her.

"When I was a kid I used to watch my parents' wedding video over and over again." Brooke paused and half smiled. "Well sometimes I still do... You know my parents had the worst marriage ever but their wedding day was beautiful." She paused again to collect her thoughts. "My mum was a very sad person, well, her life was very sad and I hardly can remember her smiling. But this particular day she was radiant and happy, and everything was perfect for once." Brooke sighed. "What I mean is that my life has been pretty sad so far... and I know I'm definitely not my mother because I'm quite the optimist by nature but it's tough... I'm tired. Life is exhausting! I have to clear my head and work on my happiness... And I want for once... just for once to have a radiant grin on my face because I'm happy and everything is perfect. A smile which comes naturally."

"Okay." He murmured.

"Like you even had the choice." She teased him a smile slowly reappearing on her lips.

_'She's so beautiful' _Lucas thought to himself. He couldn't possibly get tired to look at her. She was perfect. She had this atypical cleverness which she didn't make a big deal. She was funny without ever being mean. Even in his wildest dream he never thought that he would be so lucky.

"Let me handle this, okay?" He said while Brooke nodded. "I'm gonna make a list of some good bands and you'll pick one of them then I see if we can have them."

* * *

><p>Grace and Nathan had just arrived to the country club to meet Clay on the 18-hole golf course like every saturday morning when it was nice and sunny before they went to work. It was cold and there still was snow on the trees but the sun was high in the sky.<p>

"Oh no! You bring mini Tiger Wood! She's going to annihilate us." Clay complained while Grace was giggling.

"It's not my fault if you two can't play properly." Grace joked.

"This is rich Buttercup! I'm the one who taught you how to play, remember?" Nathan reminded her.

"Now I'm the one who could teach you some things."

"She's becoming more and more like Brooke each day."

"I know right? That's what we were saying yesterday." Nathan said to Clay while putting the clubs in the golf car. "So Haley told me that you spent the night in Brooklyn the other day." He added not very subtly.

"Don't start! I mean she's pretty and cool but it's not like that." Clay was in the defensive.

"And yet you immediately figured out what I was hinting."

"Yeah ri..."

"Well well well! I hope I'm not late for this round." Damien West appeared out of nowhere.

"You've got to be kidding me! What the hell are you doing here?"

"I've just called your office and a lovely girl told me that you were probably here so I decided to pass by." Damien replied to Nathan with a cocky smile on his face. "Hey Gracie how you doing?" He added knowing that it would bother Nathan as hell.

"Clay please go with her. I'll be here in a few minutes." Nathan got impatient.

"You sure?"

"Please Clay." Nathan persisted.

"What the fuck!" Nathan yelled after that they had left.

"What?! I was just taking an interest in your daughter."

"You're so full of shit!"

"Anyway, about the Giants, we never had the chance to talk about it." He chose to ignore Nathan's previous comment.

"Yes we did and the answer is still a big fat NO."

"Maybe if we really talked about it you'd change your mind." Damien tried to convince him.

"Not a chance in hell! I don't want to sell them and even if I wanted to, you would be the last person on the list right after the president of North Korea."

"Ouch! that was harsh. I get that you don't like me but you would rather sell them to that lunatic?"

"It's not that I don't like you, it's that I dispise you. That's not the same. I mean it's fucking 2013 I should be able to delete a contact in real life."

"Well it's called murder." Damien played along.

"Don't encourage me."

"You know I always get what I want, right?"

"I'm done." Nathan said as he turned around and started to go away.

"I wasn't only talking about the Giants." Damien said and Nathan immediately retraced his steps and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt.

"Listen to me you little piece of shit! Maybe I took a business ethics class in Yale and I usually play fair and square but I'm gonna make an exception with you. I'm gonna end your motherfucking ass and take your company from you if you touch Haley! I swear to God West! Don't. Push. Me!" He threatened him before he let go of him.

"Do whatever the fuck you want Scott but Haley James is mine. We share something that you two will never have. I know the real Haley, she's not like you think she is."

"What did you do to her West?" Nathan dared to ask him afraid of his answer.

"I don't think you could handle the truth but I didn't force her to do anything. She did everything all by herself." Damien smirked.

"I don't know what this is all about but I know it's bullshit! **You** did this."

"Everyone make their own choices well some needs a little push but still..." Damien said with an annoying laugh.

"Tell me, who rules Hell when you're up here?" Nathan said looking at him with disgust for a few seconds.

"I kissed her yesterday, I mean we made out." Damien confessed before Nathan hit him in his face and left without a word.

* * *

><p>Two weeks later she was just sad. She couldn't sleep at night, she wished she could die, she starved herself, she slowly withdrew herself from her friends and family retreated into silence. She was stuck in the past and her thoughts were eating her alive. She had zero motivation to do anything anymore. All she could do was hating herself. You could tell from the look in her eyes that she was living like she was ready to die. Haley was just sad.<p>

"New York under the snow is beautiful. It's so peaceful." Nathan said after he sat next to Haley on the bench in his garden.

"I kissed Damien West two weeks ago." Haley said bluntly looking right in front of her, to the One World Trade Center. She just couldn't look at him.

"I know." Nathan whispered a single tear streaming down his face. It wasn't because she had hurt him, it was because he couldn't stand to see her like this. She was just a shadow of herself.

"You know." She spoke nonchalantly. She wasn't even able to be surprised anymore.

"I wasn't sure. West told me the other day but I have a rule who consist to not believe anything which come out of his mouth. So yeah I kind of knew but I wasn't sure." Nathan said smiling without humor.

"Of course he told you." Haley said sarcastically.

"You only killing yourself you know?" Nathan said out of the blue.

"What?!" Haley finally looked at him.

"You think you can fool me? That I don't look at you? I know Haley, I see everything."

"Wow!" She started to giggled nervously. "I cheated on you and you're speaking about my eating disorder?"

Nathan was hurt, it was like a punch right in his heart. He knew that he should probably dump her. He knew he was pathetic to hold onto her but how could he let her drown when she was looking at him, so vulnerable, so beautiful?

"I love you Haley. I just can't let you do this to yourself. Just let me help you." He said cupping her head in his hands.

"Don't you get it? I'm broken and I can't be fixed."

"Don't do this. Don't shut me out. I know how you feel. I know it's hard to keep going but if you continue like this you're gonna die."

"And what is so great about living?" Haley said with glassy eyes.

"I don't know Hales, I'm still trying to figure it out. The thing I'm sure though is that it's becoming clearer and clearer each day I spend with you."

* * *

><p><strong>I know it was a bit depressing but what did you think about it?<strong>

**Review please! I'll reply and update faster.**

**Next :**

**Damien and Haley flashbacks.**

**Christmas is coming!**

**Nathan will try to help Haley.**


	21. Chapter 19

**Oh my god there're still people who are staring to follow and favorite my story! God bless you!**

**Before the new chapter a few words for the ones who don't have an account :**

_**Nomie :**_** At first I was thinking that maybe Nathan would break up with her and then I though No! That's too easy and I changed my mind. And you're it takes a lot to stay by her side especially when she never shares her feelings for him.  
><em>GG : <em>Ikr? I wish I could marry him. Nathan Scott has ruined me for good!  
><strong>**_Susan : _Maybe you're gonna be a little disappointed because there're not a lot of flashbacks in this chapter but it's coming we're gonna know everything eventually.  
><em>katy : <em>Thank you I hope you'll like this one.  
><em>Sacha :<em> Well I'm trying to not make it too sad but I know it's pretty dark sometimes. But hey to be fair it's drama.  
><em>Nicole : <em>Aww thanks! I just love when new people read my story. Hope you're going to like this chapter.  
><em>Lauren : <em>OMG thanks!  
><em>Cameron : <em>Well I hope it's going to surprise you in a good way.  
><strong>

**Good reading people**

* * *

><p>Three weeks had passed since Nathan had confronted Haley on her eating disorder and there was still no improvement, it was even worse. She was spending her time in the bedroom watching people live through the window. Every day she was thinking that they didn't know how lucky they were, walking, breathing, laughing, carefree in Manhattan. Haley envied them to be alive.<p>

The sun was barely up that Brooke and Nathan were already running in sync in Central Park. He needed some fresh air and she needed to do something with all this extra energy.

"Are you on drugs or something?" Nathan asked to his sister after that they had stopped to sit on a bench.

"You're just mad because for once I can run as fast as you." Brooke said catching her breath while giving him a poke.

"You wish!" Nathan teased her.

"So I have some news..." She trailed off waiting for him to ask what is was about.

"Tell me everything."

"The Dragon Lady has seen the ads and... well... she would like Gracie to..."

"No!" Nathan cut her off immediately.

"You don't even know what I was going to say."

"Oh I know exactly what you're going to say and the answer is no!"

"Nate! Vogue Kids' cover is a huge deal. It's a good opportunity for her." Brooke tried to reason with him. She knew that Grace would be thrilled to do it. _'He's gonna give up eventually.' _She thought to herself. She was the most stubborn of the two.

"She's only five Brooke, she just needs her family, go to school and make some friends. Besides you're not her agent." He said shaking his head in disbelief.

"Alright I drop it... for now."

"I'm not gonna change my mind sis'." He warned her before he gulped down his _Powerade_.

"We'll see about that." She said with a full smile.

"You're driving me nuts but happiness looks good on you." He grinned at her.

"I can't believe that I finally met a good guy who proposed to me and that we're gonna have a baby."

"Well you know how I feel. Even if you're a pain in the ass most of the time, I still think that nobody is good enough for my little sister." Nathan said sounding a little too harsh that he would have liked. "Though, I have to admit that Lucas would deserve a medal for all that wedding crap you put him through." He finally added as she gave him an exaggerated fake smile.

"What about you? Are you happy Nate?" Brooke asked a few seconds later.

"I've been better." Nathan sighed. "But I've been worse." He quickly added seeing the worried look on Brooke's face.

"What's wrong?"

"It's just..." He hesitated. "I think she's still in love with him." Nathan confessed.

"With Damien West? That's crazy!" Brooke shouted.

"They kissed."

"I'm sorry, come again?" Brooke couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Apparently it was more like making out."

"Shut up!" She still couldn't believe him. "Oh my God! I'm really sorry Nate." She added realizing that he was serious and gave him an apologetical look.

"I can't leave her. She needs me right now. I mean she doesn't eat anymore, she doesn't want to get out of the bedroom. I even had to go to the town hall and get some files so she can work at the penthouse... It's just... I don't know... it's insane, she obviously doesn't want to commit, at least not with me and I've got her under my skin. I mean I'm just gonna end up hurt, it's just a recipe for disaster. Do you think I'm insane to stay with her? Do you think it's crazy?" Nathan ranted taking his face in his hands with frustration.

"I think it's the kind of damn-fool thing we do for the people we love."

"I don't want to bother you with this." Nathan said. He wasn't used to talk about his problems.

"Hey! None of this matter if you're not happy. I just need to know that you're okay. I can't be happy for myself if you can't find your own happiness."

"I know and I'm working on it. I promise that I'm okay but for now it's about you, we need to focus on you and your baby, okay? You need to enjoy this! You'll can worry about me later." Nathan tried to reassure her wearing his best smile and she nodded.

"About focusing on me... I was wondering if you would walk me down the aisle?"

"Of course. Anything for you." He replied before he hugged her. "I'd be honored."

There was nothing more comforting and reassuring than this. It just felt like home. And Nathan had a hard time to admit it but once Brooke will leave the penthouse, she will leave a great void. But they were adults now. They couldn't live together forever.

* * *

><p>Haley was trying to sort out some papers as she was listening to the radio, when she heard that song, <em>Forever Young <em>by _Youth Group. _She used to listen to that record over and over again a few years ago when she still was at Princeton. It was funny how songs were kind of like bookmarks. You listen to a song that you haven't heard for a while, and all of a sudden, all the memories of that period come back, you remember everything, what your life used to be, all the details as if it was yesterday. Songs are like milestones in your life.

**FLASHBACK**

"Why is that everytime I like a song you manage to make me hate it by listening to the song over and over again?" Jake complained as he grabbed his sport bag.

"When I love, I love!" Haley shrugged.

"Are you coming to the game this week end? We're playing Yale, I heard that this Scott quaterback was pretty good. It's going to be hard to beat them."

"I can't go to New Heaven. I have this play Saturday and a paper to write about it."

"It's a pity." He said as he was about to leave.

"Jake!" She called out.

"Yeah?"

"Do you happen to know a Damien West?"

"Yeah. He's in the football team. Why?"

"I don't know he just asked me out." She blushed.

"And what?"

"I might say yes."

"I think it's not a good idea. Trust me on this." Jake said bluntly.

"Wh...Why?" She asked confused.

"Because he's bad news!" He got a little impatient, frustrated that she couldn't just trust him.

"That's a little vague, don't you think?"

"Look Haley! You can do whatever you want. You're a grown woman. But as a friend I'm just asking you to be careful okay?"

"Fine." She wanted to ask more questions but she knew that it was pointless, he would just continue to tell her that he was a bad guy without never telling her why.

When Jake slammed the door behind him she just took her cell phone and dialed Damien's number, sealing her fate. Everything changed in her life the moment she made this call.

**END OF FLASHBACK**

* * *

><p>Clay and Peyton were having breakfast in the Scott's kitchen when Brooke and Nathan came back from their jogging session.<p>

"What are you two doing here? Don't you have appartments on your own?" Brooke teased them.

"Your brother was the one who told us to come early because we had to discuss about the Damien West situation." Peyton replied while drinking her coffee.

"Wait! You two were running?" Clay asked surprised that Brooke was still running at almost three months pregnant.

"Yeah. I have all this extra energy... It feels so good." Brooke said with a huge smile on her face.

"She's like a magical pregnant unicorn!" Clay said to Peyton.

"I know right? So annoying!" Peyton replied making a face.

"She's right here." Brooke informed them.

"Sorry Honey. You hair is gorgeous by the way." Peyton urged to compliment her. She didn't want to get on Brooke's bad side.

"Thanks! I grew it myself." Brooke kidded. "Nathan please, could you be a good brother and squeeze two oranges for me?"

"I thought that was Lucas' job now. I mean what is his purpose? He's no use at this point." Nathan said to his sister.

"Do you see Lucas here?"

"What do you want to eat with that?" Nathan gave up sighing.

"I want muesli with a banana and some organic milk. Thanks."

"Did you guys see Haley?" Nathan asked hopefully.

"No. But I think I heard some music. She's probably upstairs." Peyton replied as he nodded.

"So Nate what are me gonna do with West?" Clay asked while Nathan was slicing a banana.

"We're going to have to get dirty. It's the only way to get rid of him once and for all."

"You know me! I'm all in!" Peyton said while smirking.

"In that case bring your sunblock because we're going to fucking hell!"

* * *

><p>"Peyton! Come here right now! This is a complete disaster." Brooke said over the phone.<p>

"I'm kind of busy here."

"Peyton Elisabeth Sawyer! You're my maid of honor and this is an emergency!" Brooke tried to sound high-handed because she couldn't yell when people were around.

"I'll see what I can do." Peyton said and hung up imediately.

About fifteen minutes later Lucas was wandering the hallways of Vera Wang. He was sure that he had seen every freaking bride of the city except for the one he was looking for. He was about to give up when he finally spotted her. She had her back turned to him. He took his time approaching. As a writer he was trying to find an accurate word to describe what he was feeling but all the words of the world couldn't express it. It didn't even feel real. She was there, looking like a dream. Her dress was black and grey and Lucas wasn't surprised at all by her choice. Of course someone like Brooke wouldn't go for the classic white princess dress. Instead she was looking like an empress or maybe a dramatic sorceress. It was a v-neck halter ballgown with chantilly lace bodice and distressed organza and shadow lace flowers at neck and a completely exposed back with a multi- layered crinkle tull skirt.

"Brooke..." Lucas was at lost of words.

"LUCAS! What the hell are you doing here?" Brooke shouted.

"Peyton called me. She said that you were upset and a little overwhelmed."

"Oh my god! I'm going to kill her! You can't be here it's bad luck." Brooke started to hyperventilate which made him smile.

"Brooke, even God couldn't sink this relationship."

"What?! I'm not talking about our relationship idiot! I'm talking about the wedding. Now that's what they used to say about the Titatic and it's still at the bottom of the Atlantic, isn't it?" She sarcastically said while dialing Peyton's number.

"I should be offended by your tone and your insults but weirdly it's kind of turn me on." He said with a playful smile.

"Honey, I love you but you really don't help right now." She said waiting for Peyton to answer.

"Baby, I love you two." Peyton finally answered with an exaggerated suggary tone.

"Oh you! You are the worst maid of honor ever!"

"I'm sorry I don't follow you hun', two seconds ago you were madly in love with me." Peyton pretented to be upset.

"My fiancée has just saw the dress, and it's all because of you." Brooke complained ignoring Peyton's previous comments.

"So?"

"It's bad luck!"

"But it's just a dress."

"What?! It's just a dress? I'm so done with you! You... you... I don't even know." Brooke said before she hung up the phone.

"Brooke I don't see what's the problem with the dress. You look incredible in this." Lucas tried to reassure her.

"The dress wasn't the problem! Peyton who still hasn't pick a dress is the problem. Now thanks to her I'm gonna have to pick another dress. God! I'm surrounded by idiots." Brooke said while sitting on the steps. "And why did you come here anyway? When she told you that I was with Vera Wang it should have clicked!

"I already told you that I didn't know who the hell was Vera fucking Wang!"

"Shhh! Are you insane? It's times like these I wish I'd married Clay when I still had the chance."

"You and me both." Lucas sighed before he took off his jacket. "I mean you have to admit that Clay would look gorgeous in that dress." He added making her laugh. "Finally, she's laughing." He exlaimed.

"But I'm still mad at you." She pointed out trying to keep a straight face.

"Are you sure about that?" He said using his killer smile to charm her.

"...Almost." She hesitated trying to hide the smile that was threatening to appear on her face.

"I think you're going to be crazy about me in like five seconds."

"I don't think so."

"I wanted to suprise you tonight but you don't let me the choice..."

"What is it?" She said sounding far too excited that she'd wanted.

"It's a done deal with Cat Power." Lucas announced.

"She said yes?!" He simply nodded to answer.

"Oh my god! Oh my god! Oh my god! You are the best!" She run towards him and jumped into his arms before she kissed him.

"I wouldn't want to play the _'I told you so' _card and yet I think I have to." Lucas said against her lips.

"Alright if you have to."

"I told you so."

"What am I gonna do with the dress?" Brooke pouted.

"I think you should wear this one. I mean look at you, you're breathtaking! Besides I always wanted my future wife to rock the black wedding dress so it can match my heart."

"Awww! Broody." She captured his lips another time. This time she would listen to him.

* * *

><p>"And this guy, do you know him?" Clay asked to Nathan.<p>

"I've never seen him before but apparently he has something on West that could bring him down for good."

"I don't know Nate... I googled his name and he's not my kind of guy."

"So? You won't have to marry him Clay." Nate said sarcastically. "Look Clay! I don't like this either but I don't have another lead."

"I know but aggravated procuring?" Clay added not sure that this whole thing was such a good idea.

"I really don't fucking care, he could be Satan himself that it wouldn't matter. I'm sick of Damien West coming in our life and fucking mess with it." Peyton said.

"He won't live Haley alone man, ever! And it's killing her."

"Okay. Let's meet that dangerous guy." Clay sighed.

Two weeks ago Nathan had hired a P.I. to dig in Damien West's past. He wanted to know everything especially the things that were illegal.

After a week Nathan could have write a book about him but nothing was bad enough, not enough to take him down anyway. But two days ago a man called him saying that he had something that could interest him and that he would be thrilled to help him. Apparently the guy wasn't a big fan of West either.

"He's already there." Nathan said after that the reception of the ground floor called and informed him.

"You know I can do this alone."

"No! We're in this together. Like we always have been." Peyton said tapping Nathan's shoulder.

"Clay are you sure about this? Because you don't have to. You don't owe me anything."

"Whatever man. I'm in. Of course I'm in." Clay said before someone knocked on the door.

Nathan went to open the door.

"Hello Mister Scott. It's really nice to meet you." The man greeted him. "You know you made me win a lot of money a few years ago."

"Yeah?" Nathan wasn't sure where he was coming from.

"Sports betting! You were a hell of a quaterback! It's a shame you didn't continue to play."

"Oh thanks." Nathan said with a shy smile. "This is my associates. I hope you don't mind."

"Why would I? Look at this marvellous creature." He said as he kissed Peyton's hand and Peyton tried with all she got to not literally throw up on him.

"I'm Daunte. What's your name Gorgeous?"

* * *

><p>Grace knocked on her father's bedroom holding a mac and cheese plate on her hand. Thinking that nobody would answer she decided to come in. It was already past 7 and it was dark in there. Her father had called telling her that he propably wouldn't make it on time for dinner so she decided that she could eat with Haley since Brooke and Lucas were eating out. She had asked her nanny to cook some mac and cheese knowing that it was Haley's favorite.<p>

"Haley?" Grace called out. "Are you there?"

"Hey Gracie." Haley said after she had switched the light on. "I'm sorry I was a little tired."

"I was thinking that maybe you were hungry."

"I'm sorry Gracie but my belly hurts." Haley lied.

"Oh! Do you want me to call daddy?"

"No. It's okay but I should probably don't eat."

"Okay. I go downstairs. Goodnight Haley." Grace said with a disappointed look on her face as she was about to leave.

"Wait! Maybe you could eat here. It's Monday we could watch _Bunheads _like last week."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah sure."

"Sweet!" Grace shouted as she jumped on the bed and Haley grabbed the remote and turned on the tv on ABC family.

* * *

><p>When Nathan came home. He found Haley and Grace asleep in his king size bed and the TV was still on. He saw a plate of mac and cheese almost empty and thought that hopefully Haley had finally eaten something. Carefully, he took Grace in his arms to put her in her bed.<p>

"Daddy." Grace said half asleep.

"Shhh! Go back to sleep." Nathan murmured.

"Daddy, Haley feels sick, her belly hurts her." Grace managed to say between yawns.

Wow! She was lying to a five years old now? He couldn't believe that he thought that it would be so easy. That just because his lovely daughter would bring her her favorite meal and would smile at her, she would just eat.

He just put Grace in her bed and kissed her forehead.

"Sweet dreams Buttercup."

Tomorrow will be a better day. At least he hoped it would be.

* * *

><p><strong>And that's all for now! I know Daunte!<strong>

**You can find Brooke's wedding dress in Google image, it's called Josephine by Vera Wang. It's the first pictures.**

**I hope you liked this chapter. I'm not quite sure myself but hey that's what I wrote. Tell me what you think about it. You have no idea how much it helps.**

**Next chapter :**

**It's christmas and it's gonna be hectic and a little sad.**

**And again you know how it works the more I get reviews the faster I'll update.**


	22. Chapter 20

**So I'm sorry for the wait but I had my freaking finals! And as much as I love you and writing, I needed to get my priorities straight. So thank you to be so patient with me.**

**Now here's a few words for the ones who don't have an account :**

_**GG :**_** Ahah the magical pregnant unicorn! I heard this in a movie the other day and I couldn't stop to laugh. You're right Clay is very loyal, he doesn't always agree with his friends but he stay by them sides no matter what.  
><em>jules : <em>I couldn't agree more with you. Haley definitely needs to show her feelings to Nate but easy to say and much harder to do. But she'll come around I promise.  
><em>danielle :<em> No that can't be good, anyone would know that Damien+ Daunte = bad news. And we're going to see that in the next chapters.  
><em>Nomie : <em>Thanks! I really like the dress I just wanted something different for Brooke. Lol you noticed? Yeah Brooke is very bossy and you're right Luke let her because he loves her so much. Brooke and Nate are a lot like my twin brother and I, we are sarcastic like them sometimes when my brother said something funny I write it down and I use it. Don't worry we'll see Jake and Quinn in the chapter after that one.  
><em>lauren : <em>Try to imagine the worst reaction that Nate could have about her past and you're not even close.  
><em>Sacha : <em>Aww thanks. Yeah Grace is the kind of kid that everyone would want. She's so precious.  
><strong>

**Now this chapter is really about Naley and Brucas. I'm sorry for the Jeyton and Clinn fans but I had to focus on them for now.**

**WARNING : THIS CHAPTER HAVE SOME SEXUAL CONTENTS, YOU'VE BEEN WARNED**

* * *

><p>"Hey Beautiful! We're going to pick a christmas tree, do you want to come?" Nathan asked to Haley who was nonchalantly channel-flicking, lying down on the bed with an empty look on her face.<p>

"I think I'll pass." She replied without bothering to look at him.

Nathan sighed, turned around and left to go back downstairs.

"So?" Lucas asked Nathan.

"She doesn't want to come."

"What?! But it's christmas. Haley loves christmas." Lucas said as Brooke and Nathan were looking at each other, trying to avoid Lucas' gaze. "Okay. What the fuck is going on?"

"Honey..." Brooke tried to say, but couldn't think of a good way to say it.

"What?! You're scaring me."

"I think Haley is feeling a little down." Brooke tried to explain.

"No! I mean what is really going on? I know that she's kinda off lately. I mean I noticed it's my best friend. So what is it?"

"She is... Well Haley is..." Brooke trailed off.

"Haley is anorexic. She doesn't eat anything. I think she lost around fifteen pounds this past month and I'm not a psychiatrist but I can tell that she has a severe depression." Nathan finally said.

"What?! No! No, no, no, no, no! You're wrong. If Haley was anorexic, I would know." Lucas refused to believe him.

"Well I guess you wouldn't." Nathan said sarcastically.

"Baby, he's right. I observed her, trust me. She has a serious problem. She's maybe good at hiding it but I work with models everyday." Brooke tried to convince Lucas.

"And I used to date them, well ages ago, but still I know all their tricks." Nathan added.

"Fifteen pounds you said?" Lucas said after he had sat down to process the recent news.

"Something like that." Nathan confirmed.

"We have to call Lydia."

"Yeah I don't think it's a good idea." Nathan disagreed.

"No offense man, but you've met her like what, five months ago? I know her for my entire life. So I'm telling you we're gonna call her mother. She'll know what to do." Lucas was getting impatient.

"I need to figure out what really happened to her. Just give me some time okay?"

"So let me get this straight, you want me to wait until it's too late? I'm sorry but I don't think so!" Lucas raised his voice.

"Shhh!" Brooke tried to quiet him. "Haley and Gracie are upstairs."

"Don't you get it? There something more here. Don't you remember what Jake had told us?" Nathan asked Lucas.

"Jake says a lot of things."

"The day we went to see the Giants months ago, remember?" Nathan hinted.

"Not really but I'm trying to forget about these days. God! I was miserable back then."

"Aww! Poor baby!" Brooke pouted before she kissed him lazily.

"Hey brother in the room!" Nathan shouted. "Besides can we go back on the previous subject?"

"Sorry Nate. I just can't help myself." Brooke said after that they pulled away from each other.

"Gross!" Nathan shouted.

"So what do you propose?" Lucas sighed.

"I've just contacted someone from West's past who is willing to help me. I think he knows what happened between Haley and West, but I'm not sure yet."

"Why did you not tell me about this?" Brooke asked her brother offended that he haven't informed her of such an important thing.

"Because I don't trust the guy."

"Just peachy! That's an impeccable plan, really." Lucas said sarcastically laughing at Nathan's statement. "You want me to wait because a guy that you don't trust could help us to figure out what really happened between them? That's it! I'm calling her parents." Lucas said as he grabbed his phone.

"Don't!" Nathan shouted taking Lucas' cell phone from his hands and threw it through the window.

"Are you fucking serious? That was my fucking phone Genius!" Lucas yelled at him.

"And I don't fucking care!"

"Boys! Enough!" Brooke shouted placing herself between the two of them.

"He threw away my phone!" Lucas protested.

"I'm sorry Man. You're just so damn stubborn." Nathan tried to apologize.

"Oh! Because you're so..."

"Shut up Lucas!" Brooke cut him off. "What do you think he did?" Brooke turned around to her brother.

"I don't even know if I can tell my thoughts out loud."

"Please try." Brooke insisted.

"I don't know maybe he used to hit her or he forced himself on her, maybe both." Nathan said after a few seconds of hesitation. He couldn't bear to just think about it what it would be if it was actually true?

"This is not possible. I mean Haley would have pressed charges against the bastard if it was the case."

"I don't think so. He knows how to manipulate people. It's kinda hard to explain but he has a power." Brooke told to Lucas.

"This is a nightmare." Lucas sighed cupping his head in his own hands.

"He's going to pay for this. I promise. I'm bringing him down for good!" Nathan swore.

"Nate, don't do anything until you're entirely sure." Brooke said to her brother before he nodded. "Now what are we gonna do about Haley's eating disorder?"

"We have to get her an intervention with a doctor and all of us and we'll see what will happen." Nathan suggested.

"We can try." Lucas said. "You two and Grace can go pick a christmas tree. I'm gonna stay with her."

"Okay but don't forget we have an appointment with Dr. Cohen by 3." Brooke reminded him and Lucas nodded.

"And when are we gonna do this?" Lucas asked.

"Christmas is just in three days. We should wait." Brooke said.

"You're probably right." Nathan agreed.

* * *

><p>Every childhood memory Lucas had, Haley was a part of it. They had always shared all of their secrets, they even had made a brother blood pact in first grade, well a brother-sister blood pact. He used to know her like the back of his hand but lately it didn't feel like it. They didn't have a meanningful conversation in months and they were like strangers who were living together. The Haley he used to know was fiercely strong, confident and independant, she wouldn't had any of Damien West's crap and certainly wouldn't put her life in danger because of him.<p>

Lucas took a deep breath and knocked on the door. He waited for a few seconds and knocked again. Nobody answers so he decided to come in.

"Hey Hales! Nathan told me that you didn't want to go pick the tree." He didn't really know what else to say which was weird because he never had been at lost of words with her before.

"Yeah I'm tired." Haley replied.

Lucas sighed. He knew it was a code to say I'm depressed, I'm not okay, I'm screwed-up to a whole new level.

"How long are you going to do this Hales?" He decided to go straight to the point.

"I'm not doing anything."

"Don't fucking insult me!" Lucas was really annoyed. "I'm your best friend. So I think you owe me that, you have to be honest with me." He said as he sat on the edge of the bed.

Haley turned off the tv and sat cross legged. She could lie to anybody but him.

"I did some terrible things Luke." Haley said with a shaky voice.

"That's okay you can tell me. I'm not going to judge you." Lucas tried to reassure her taking her hands in his.

"Damien was a problem gambler. He used to lose huge amount of money..." Haley stopped to look at Lucas to check the expression on his face.

"It's okay Hales. Just tell me." He still was holding her hands.

"He's rich so it wasn't a problem... until that night."

"That night?"

"He had been beaten up. His face, it was horrible." She said looking at her knees. She couldn't look him in the eyes anymore. "I asked him what happened and he told me that it was bad this time, that he couldn't give them the money, that even his father didn't want to help him." She continued as a single tear streamed down her face. "He asked me if I loved him and I said more than anything. Then he..." Her voice broke.

"Then he what?"

"He told me that the guy to whom he owed the money had a crush on me, that if I..."

"Haley." He knew everything. By the look on her face he knew what it was all about.

"I did it Luke! I did it!" She shouted crying hysterically.

"Shhh." He took her into his arms. "You have to let it go. You can't punish yourself forever."

"I can't."

"Why?"

"Because I was pregnant." Haley confessed.

He didn't say a single word. At this moment he realized that when people were broken in certain ways, they couldn't ever be fixed. He wished that somebody had told him this before, that way he could have anticipated the unbearable pain that he was feeling in his heart.

"He's gonna leave me." Haley said more to herself.

"What are you talking about?"

"Once he'll know, he won't love me anymore."

"I think you're underestimating his feelings for you."

"Yeah but he doesn't know that I'm a whore."

"Hey! Don't you ever talk about my best friend like that." Lucas warned her cupping her head in his hands.

Lucas wanted to talk to her about her eating disorder but thought that he had to choose his battles, at least for now.

* * *

><p>Christmas was Grace's favorite holiday and Nathan and Brooke always made sure that it was perfect. And for starters they had to find the most beautiful christmas tree of Manhattan.<p>

"What about this one Buttercup?" Nathan asked to his daughter pointing his finger on a tree.

"Not big enough." Grace replied before she had one of this bad cough that made Nathan worried sick.

"Are you okay?" Nathan asked her while she was still coughing. "I'm going to call Julian." He added starting to dial his number but Grace made a sign to not to and finally managed to stop the cough.

"I'm fine Daddy."

"Are you sure sweetie?" Brooke asked.

"I'm okay. Besides it's christmas, nothing really bad can happen on christmas holidays." Grace replied putting one of her radiant smile on her face.

"You're right." Brooke said with a grin mirroring Grace's.

"Yeah." Nathan agreed.

Their smiles quickly vanished because they knew that Grace's statement was far from the truth. In fact life always striked when they least expected it.

"Hey did you hear about Peyton this week?" Brooke changed of subject trying to lighten the mood.

"You mean the Grinch." Grace rectified.

"Oh come on Buttercup! It wouldn't be an authentic Scott's Christmas if Peyton Sawyer wasn't there to rain on your parade." Nathan teased his daughter.

Peyton hated Christmas. She thought that it brought the worst in people and that there wasn't such a thing as Christmas spirit.

"Peyton is with Larry." He informed her while they still looking for the prefect tree.

"He finally came back from Japan?" Brooke asked excited.

"He's just here for the Holidays. I guess you're still stuck with Lucas after all." Nathan joked.

Larry was Peyton's father. He definitely was the cool dad type. Handsome, funny, charming, he had the gift of the gab. When they were in high school every Peyton's friends had a crush on him. Peyton worshipped him, too bad that he was absent most of the time. He was a raw material negotiator and was travelling all over the world.

"Very funny."

"I like this one." Nathan pointed another tree.

"Not thick enough." Grace disagreed. "So today we're going to know if it's a boy or a girl." Grace asked her aunt.

"We haven't decided yet if we wanted to know."

"It better be a girl!" Grace said.

"Why?"

"Because boys are gross!"

"Buttercup, don't you ever change!" Nathan said to Grace. "Wait! I think I'm gonna even record that." He added grabbing his iphone. "Can you repeat that?"

"With pleasure... Boys are so gross!" Grace repeated with a disgusted look on her face while Nathan happily recorded it on his phone.

"Are you serious?" Brooke said shaking her head looking at her brother.

"That's it! This is the one." Grace was amazed, standing in front of her version of the perfect christmas tree.

"Are you sure?"

"Daddy just look at it! It's perfect."

* * *

><p>When Nathan came back he found Haley wearing only her underwears in front of the mirror inspecting her imaginary rolls of fat, trying to pull herself from her own skin.<p>

Nathan only saw beauty. He approached her slowly and kissed the dimple that she had on her shoulder and hugged her from behind.

"Please, don't make me leave without you." He begged her while she was in his arms. He would have holding her tighter if he wasn't so afraid to break her. She had lost so much weight.

She turned around and kissed him hungrily to answer him, pressing her body against him she could feel his erection. He grabbed both her thighs and lifted her walking backwards to the bed.

"I want you so bad." She moans, immersing her fingers into his black hair.

She needed to feel him almost like her life depended on it. She took off her underwears hastily and he did the same with his clothes. Then she sat on his lap with her legs on either side of his body, sliding slowly onto him.

"Is that what you wanted?" He asked her with a strained voice like he was about to break filling her inch by inch.

She closed her eyes and wrapped her legs around his waist as he was invading her. She sank her nails in his back. He interpreted it as a sign and he cupped her ass with his hands and moved her on him, bringing her up and letting her sink back on his hard member.

"Talk dirty to me Big boy." Haley commanded him before she hide her face in the pit of his neck.

It completely took him by surprise. Nathan never pictured Haley as a girl who would like this. And as incredible as it sounds he never did this before. Nathan was more into doing a fucking great job, fucking the girl's brain out and shut the fuck up until the girl would come. But he was willing to try. "_It could be fun." _He thought to himself.

"I'm going to make you come until you can't breathe you naughty girl." Nathan said before he grabbed her hair and kissed her roughly.

"Faster!" She moaned as her brain was overloading.

Nathan moved and managed to make her lay on her back without slipping out completely out of her core despite her wetness and picked a faster pace.

"Spread your pretty little legs wide for me Baby." He looked right into her eyes wearing his trademark smirk.

He was driving hard into her and she was driving him faster into madness. He leaned on her to devore her mouth but she was the one who bit his lower lip.  
>He pulled away from her to catch his breath as he slipped her legs onto his shoulders, leaning onto his knees, changing the angle of his penetration, thrusting over and over again.<p>

He felt her walls clutching him so he started to stimulate her with his fingers.

"Cum for me Baby!"

"Nathan!" She cried out while he managed to slip his hands under and squeeze her ass.

"You sweet little ass of yours fill my hands perfectly, I like that." He said huskily.

Her face contorted in pleasure, feeling the size of him through her whole being. He liked to see her like this.

"Haley!" He moaned as a final thrust send him to the edge.

They stay in the bed, naked looking at each other, a blissful smile on their lips.

He find her most beautiful when she was like this. Not all fancied up, her hair all a mess with flushed cheeks and a thin layer of sweat that made her glow. When she let her guard down and managed to make her smile or laugh. That's when he couldn't take his eyes off of her.

"I could love you forever." Nathan said losing himself in her eyes.

"I could definitely get used to it."

* * *

><p>Brooke and Lucas were in a cab on their way to Brooke's obstetrician practice. After that they argued for weeks about knowing or not the baby's sex, they finally decided that it would be better to know. As usual Brooke have had her way and had the last word.<p>

"Broody are you okay? You seem tense since I got back." Brooke broke the silence.

"Yeah it's just..."

"If you really don't want to know the sex, we don't have to." Brooke said worried that he was mad at her.

"It's not about that." He smiled at her. "But it was really nice of you."

"What's going on?"

"It's just something that Haley told me... just... nevermind."

"You know you can speak to me if you want to."

"I know Pretty girl." Lucas said before he kissed her. "So I have some news." Lucas changed of subject.

"Is it good?" Brooke asked him.

"I think so."

"What are you waiting for? Tell me!" Brooke said excitedly.

"I find a job."

"I didn't know you were looking for one." Brooke said with a puzzled expression on her face. "What about the book you're writing?"

"I figured that I had the time to have an extra job." Lucas shrugged.

"If it's about the money we d..."

"It's not about the money Brooke." Lucas cut her off.

"Okay what's the job?" She asked to him.

"It's a writing teacher job at NYU. It's twenty hours a week."

"Sounds great!" Brooke tried to be supportive.

"You could still work at Vogue and I'll take care of the baby and we'd hire a part-time nanny."

"Yeah. Why not."

They finally arrived and Lucas paid the taxi driver. They came in the practice and because they were a little late it was already their turn.

"So how are you doing?" Doctor Cohen asked after that they had sat.

"I'm fine. Actually I feel great." Brooke replied.

"She's the prefect little soldier. She eats healthy, she takes yoga classes and reads everything she can find about pregnancy." Lucas teased her.

"Good. So you don't have nausea anymore?"

"No." Brooke replied to the doctor.

"Well in that case I'm not going to make you wait any longer. I bet you two want to see this baby of yours." The doctor announced before she made sign to Brooke to lie down on the examining table.

Brooke took of her pants and lay down on the table before she lifted her shirt. The doctor turned on the ultrasound machine and applied the chilled gel on Brooke's stomach.

A few seconds later they could hear the sound of the heartbeat and Lucas took Brooke's hand.

"That's a strong heartbeat." The doctor said smiling at the couple.

"But it's way too fast." Lucas said with a worried tone.

"It's perfectly normal." Brooke replied instead of the doctor.

"See! She reads everything." Lucas addressed to the doctor.

"Wait a minute." The doctor said looking more closer to the screen.

"Is there something wrong?" Brooke asked.

"No. But you're going to have to read lots of books about gemellary pregnancy."

"Wait what?"

"We're having twins Lucas." Brooke answered him.

"Oh boy! I think I'm going to be sick." Lucas said thinking that he had to sit very fast.

"Men!" Brooke shook her head. "Just sit down Baby." She ordered him while the doctor was very amused.

"So we have two babies, with both perfectly shaped heads... Two noses... four ears... This is their arms..." She said pointing out on everything with her finger on the screen. "And here four feet. Do you want to know the babies' sex?" She asked to the future parents.

"I don't know about you but I think we had enough for today." Brooke turned around to Lucas.

"Yeah deninitely."

* * *

><p>It was finally the 24th, the final straight before Christmas. Nathan woke up and Haley was still sound asleep. He went down to the kitchen and oddly Grace wasn't awake yet. Usually she was so excited that she was up at 5 am.<p>

The past three days they had decorated the penthouse and the christmas tree. Grace didn't believe in Santa anymore since last year so Nathan brought her to F.A.O Schwarz so she could help him to pick some gifts for the children of the hospital who had cystic fibrosis just like her.

Nathan was about to make some coffee when he heard Grace come in the kitchen.

"Morning buttercup are you excited?"

"Morning Daddy." She said. Her voice was weak.

"Are you okay?" He asked her rushing towards her.

"I'm okay."

"Jesus Christ! You're burning up!"

"Daddy! I'm okay." She said before she had a nasty cough.

"We're going to the hospital!" Nathan announced knowing that fever plus cough was a very bad combination.

"But it's Christmas eve!" Grace protested.

"Look Buttercup! I'm not happy about it either but I'm not going to take any chances. We're going." Nathan said firmly.

Nathan was trying his damn best to not think about the worst, to convince himself that things will go his way for one fucking time in his life.

* * *

><p><strong>I know I'm evil! That was a hell of a cliffhanger!<strong>

**I need reviews, I need to know what you think about this one and I promise that I will update fast!**


	23. Chapter 21

**Hello everyone! Thank you so much for the feedback! I hope that eveyone is okay. For the ones who had their finals I hope that it went okay, and for the ones who are in vacation, well have a good summer and finally for the ones who work, that sucks! But I feel for you ah!**

**I just wanted to say to the Brucas fans that I've got your prayers and that I promise that I'll write something hot for them. I had a lot of requests and I decided to do it but it's going to be during the honeymoon so you'll have to wait for a couple of chapters.**

**As usual a few words for the ones who don't have an account :**

**_Anon :_ I think that everyone deserves happiness in this story well besides Damien motherfucking West obviously.  
><em>Sacha :<em> I 'm really sorry to ruin your life, I didn't mean to, actually yes! I meant to ruin all your lives muhahahahah! I'm a terrible person.  
><em>Barbara : <em>First of all welcome! Second of all you'll know about the whole story later.  
><em>Nomie : <em>Well, I'm worried about Nathan too so yeah you should really freak out! But daily reminder that I love happy ending so it'll be okay eventually.  
><em>lily : <em>Aww thanks! It means a lot.  
><em>jules : <em>I figured that it was a good time for dirty talk for Naley because they are together for a long time and it would have been awkward to do it sooner.  
><em>guest : <em>Yeah Nathan's going to have a break just not now. And about Haley it's kind of like the same she'll be okay one day. I know i'm cruel.  
><em>Naomi : <em>Oh my god! Let me love you. I swear reviews are such an ego boost  
><strong>_**Jlia : **_**Ahah! I did my best.**

**Now here's the chapter 22. Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Grace put her hand in front of her mouth while she was coughing. When she took off her hand, her palm was covered with blood.<p>

"You're gonna be okay Buttercup. We're almost there." Nathan tried to reassure his daughter while driving. "Here." He rummage in his pocket and stretched out a tissue to her.

"Thanks and I know that. Besides Daddy, I'm a Scott, of course I'm gonna be okay." Grace put a brave face on, even if she was sweating and trembling. Then she wiped her hand before she turned her head to look through the window.

In reality, Nathan was worried sick. His little girl was spitting out blood. It was a terrifying fact and there was all kind of horrible scenarios crossing his mind.

Grace was afraid to die, it was not death itself which scared her, because she was only five years old and the notion was quite abstract. Mostly she was afraid to never see her father again.

"Do you think Mummy is in Heaven?" Grace asked a few minutes later while looking at the clouds and Nathan sighed.

"Is it one of this time you don't want me to treat you like a baby?"

"I just want to know the truth."

"Actually, nobody knows the truth."

"Yeah but the other day Ashley told me that when you died that was it. That there was nothing after that." Grace was obviously upset.

"That's what Ashley thinks, but she isn't necessarily right." Nathan explained.

"What about you Daddy? Do you believe in Heaven?"

"I don't know about Heaven Buttercup, but what I know is that your mummy will always be in us. Everytime we think of her, remember her or talk about her, she's just here with us." Nathan chose to be honest with her daughter. He didn't want to lie to her, ever!

"But I can't see her."

"You can't see the wind either but still you know it's there because you can feel it. Well, that's kind of the same with your mother." Nathan tried to comfort her.

* * *

><p>"You're ruining my sleep, you know that?" Brooke said to Lucas, her eyes still closed, giving a hint of a smile.<p>

"I haven't done anything!" Lucas replied as he couldn't take his eyes off of her.

"You're staring. I know I'm pretty but still." She complained, her eyes not opened yet.

"You're the prettiest, Pretty girl." Lucas came closer and murmured in her ear before he started to devore her neck, he couldn't resist when she was sleepy with her messy hair, her raspy voice and her pouty lips.

"Lucas! Lucas!" Brooke shouted as she started to struggle. "It tickles!... Please stop... Lucas I'm begging you... Oh my god!... Stop..." She said as she was laughing out loud.

Lucas stopped before he sighed. "What are we gonna do with you?" He teased her as he carefully sat on her thighs one leg on each side of her.

"How about we let Brooke sleep?" Brooke said frowning and pretending to think. "Yep! Sounds like a good plan. Let's do that." She added before she closed her eyes again.

"I can't believe we're having twins." Lucas said while his hands were stroking her bare stomach that her camisole didn't hide. "I mean two babies..."

"Well the word twins kind of imply that they come by two." Brooke said sarcastically.

"Nobody likes a smartass Hun'"

"But still you love me, you're in love with me, it's a thing."

"Although I wonder how is it possible that I love you even more that you love yourself." Lucas teased her.

"It's probably the fact that I'm gorgeous and incredibly smart." Brooke said in a serious tone which made Lucas burst into laughter.

"And cocky."

"I'm not cocky! I'm just being realistic."

"Of course." He just said with a half smile before he rested his head on her stomach. "Brooke?" He called a few minutes later.

"Yeah."

"I hope it's going to be two little girls."

"So they will love you more than me? So not fair!" Brooke pouted while tangling up her fingers in his hair.

"I just want them to be just like you then I'll just give them my last name." Lucas said before he blew on her belly button making her giggle. "You know, I always knew that to make a girl fall in love with me I had to make her laugh but with you, everytime you laugh, I'm the one who falls even more."

"You're just trying to charm me!" Brooke accused him.

"Is it working so far?"

"Maybe." She teased him.

Lucas was there just looking at her. And the playboy that he was once, now couldn't even think about what it would be like to be with someone else, not even out of idle curiosity, the thoughts weren't even worth his time.

* * *

><p>Haley went down the grand stairs about to head for the kitchen when she heard someone whistle.<p>

"Wow!" Quinn exclaimed. "Nice place."

"Hey Quinn! What are you doing here?" Haley asked her sister with suspicion.

"I just wanted to spend some time with my little sister. Is that a crime?"

"No. It's just that it's been a while."

"Hey! You're the one who is so in luv that she can't even make some time for her favorite sister."

"I'm not in love, I'm just busy." Haley defended herself.

"Whatever you say." Quinn didn't believe her.

"Let me see you." Quinn said putting her hands on her shoulders before she took a couple of step backwards. "I thought that they would have some fancy chef to feed you here. Damn! You've lost so much weight."

"Not at all." Haley protested.

"Should I worry?"

"Oh my god! Would you leave me alone? I told you that I didn't lose weight." Haley was on the defensive.

"Okay!" Quinn raised her hands. "I drop it."

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to attack you it's just that I need caffeine to function properly."

"Where's your lover boy by the way?" Quinn asked as they walked toward the kitchen.

"I don't know."

"Jesus Christ! Your entire house's ground floor could fit in this room."

"You're exaggerating." Haley rolled her eyes before she saw a note on the fridge. Nathan had written it. "No! This isn't happening." She said with a scared look while reading the note.

"What? Haley, what's going on?"

"It's Gracie."

"What happened?"

"I don't know but they're at the hospital, so that can't be good."

"We should go."

"Yeah." She said with an empty look, the note still in her hand, trying to process the news.

"Morning everyone!" Brooke said gleefully going straight to the fridge.

"You look like you've just seen a ghost." Lucas said to Haley.

"Brooke what are you still doing here?" Quinn asked her.

"I took the day off." She replied innocently helping herself a glass of pomegranate.

"Brooke..." Haley trailed off.

"Haley are you okay?" Brooke asked her.

"I thought that you knew."

"Knew what?"

"Gracie and Nathan are at the hospital apparent..."

"Where's my freaking phone?!" Brooke cut her off before she left the kitchen in a hurry.

Brooke was in her room looking everywhere for her phone.

"Where the fuck is it?" She was hysterical. "Damn it!"

"Brooke." Lucas said with a gentle voice at the frame door.

"I can't find it!" She said almost crying. She had a panic attack.

"Brooke it's on your bedside table." He calmly said. He was scared but figured that it wouldn't help if he was freaking out as well.

"Are you fucking serious Nate? The fucking answering machine?!" Brooke shouted and hung up.

"Brooke calm down." He said approaching her slowly.

"I'll calm down when my niece and my brother will be back here safely."

"And they will." He said cupping her face in his hands looking right into her hazel eyes or were they green, he never seemed to figure it out.

"You don't know that. Actually with our family record, that likely won't happen."

"Don't say that! You don't even know what's really going on." He tried to reason with her.

"I say that because it seems that tragedy is in the cards for us. Something terrible always happens once in a while and I was just thinking the other day that everything was great lately. Who was I kidding?" She said laughing without humor. "I mean of course, hospital, pain and misery, it's gotta be Christmas!"

* * *

><p>Nathan and Grace just arrived in the pediatric ER. Nathan was carrying his daughter in his arms. She was completely apathetic. He headed for the reception where two nurses were talking.<p>

"Hey! My daughter has cystic fibrosis and she just coughed up blood. She can't breathe properly! I want to see Dr. Karev!" Nathan said completely freaked out.

"I'm sorry Sir but Dr. Karev doesn't work today. You know it's Christmas eve." One of the nurse replied. "I'm gonna beep the intern."

"No way! No fucking way! I don't want the intern, I want Dr. Karev!" Nathan yelled still carrying Grace in his arms.

"I told you that he's not here today so let the intern take care of your daughter."

"Just call Dr. Karev."

"I'm afraid I can't do that."

"Yes you fucking can! Do you even know who I am?" He yelled again. Usually he didn't like to play that card but since his daughter was very sick, he didn't care anymore. He'd do whatever it takes. "I'm Nathan Scott, yeah those Scotts. We paid for this entire hospital! I probably even pay your salary! So pick up the freaking phone and call him now!"

The nurse picked up the phone and dialed the number and waited for him to answer the phone.

"Hi Dr. I'm sorry to bother you but there's someone here..."

"Just give me the fucking phone." Nathan cut her off. "Hi Alex, it's Nate... I'm really sorry, I know it's Christmas eve but... Gracie's not doing well, it's really bad... Thank you so much. I owe you." He said before he gave the phone back to the nurse.

"Daddy, you were being very rude." Gracie said with a weak voice.

"I know Buttercup, I'm sorry." Nathan apologized before Grace closed her eyes. "It's gonna be okay Baby. It's gonna be okay. It's gonna be okay." Nathan repeated like a mantra as he was stroking her cheek.

* * *

><p>Haley, Brooke, Quinn and Lucas arrived at the hospital not long after and asked for Grace. Someone gave them the number of her single room but told them that only one person at a time could go in. They quickly decided that Brooke should go first seeing that she was getting completely out of hands.<br>Brooke still was in her pajamas and had teary eyes. She opened the door without making the effort to knock.

"Why did you not wake me up?" were the first words Brooke managed to say to her brother.

"Brooke! What are you doing here?" Nathan was surprised to see her.

"What am I doing here? You are my family, where else would I be?" Brooke said before she hugged her big brother. "How is she doing?" She asked looking at her niece who was asleep, two tubes tucked into her nose connected her to plastic pipes to oxygen cylinders.

"Not so great." He sighed looking desperately at his daughter. "Alex's gonna be here soon."

"Okay." She simply replied. "Can I do something for you? Anything?"

"Actually, there's something..." Nathan trailed off.

"Shoot!"

"I don't know if it's possible..."

"Just name it."

"Well It's Christmas eve and you know that Gracie doesn't joke about this. So I was wondering if you could bring Christmas here."

"Please! I'm Brooke Scott. It's a piece of cake." She said a smile struggling through her tears.

"Thanks. You're really the best."

"I know that!" She said still smiling. "God! It's hard to be here." She added a couple of minutes later.

"I know. I'm trying to be positive and everything but..."

"But we have probably the worst track record." Brooke finished his sentence.

"Yeah that's like the biggest understatement of the year!" Nathan said sarcastically. "Goddamit! I'll do anything! I swear anything! I just want my baby to be okay."

Brooke wanted to say that it will be okay, that Grace will be fine but she knew better. She didn't know what would happen and didn't want to lie. Besides it's not like he would believe her.

* * *

><p>You can go Haley. I think you're the one he needs now." Brooke said before Haley nodded and left.<p>

"Are you okay Pretty girl?" He knew it didn't help to ask this every freaking minute but he couldn't help it. He just had to make sure that she was.

"No. But they need me so I won't complain anymore." Brooke said taking a deep breath. "So! You're gonna call Jake. I'll take care of Peyton and Clay. We have a room to decorate and the Christmas spirit to find!"

"Should I worry?" Lucas asked her.

"Not if you do what I ask you." She said and she wasn't joking.

* * *

><p>"Hey Beautiful!" Nathan greeted Haley.<p>

"I'm so sorry Nathan." She couldn't think about anything better to say.

"It's not your fault." He said before he kissed her hard on the lips.

"I wish I could be your rock. But I'm a big mess, it's just who I am."

"Look, I know that most people fall for what's perfect, you know, that's all they see, that's all they want. But I'm not like that. I don't just see what's beautiful, I fall for the other stuff. See, first I saw that you were perfect and I loved you, then I realized that you were flawed and I loved you even more. I love what's not perfect. It's just how I am."

Nathan was about to kiss her again when Alex Karev came in the room.

"Hey Nate!" Alex shook Nathan's hand. "You always seem to attract the most beautiful girls. You lucky bastard!" He said looking right into Haley's eyes.

"I'm sure your wife would be thrilled to hear that." Nathan said sarcastically.

"Are you kidding? Izzy is deep into Christmas preparations right now. Actually she wanted to rip your head off about half an hour ago. You're lucky that she adores Gracie." Alex joked.

"Yeah say hello to her for me."

"I will." He said looking at the test results that Grace had done a week ago. "So tell me what happened?"

"Well you know that Grace here is like a Christmas nazi..."

"Probably why Izzy and her are getting along so well." Alex cut him off.

"Anyway, I was downstairs before her this morning, it was just weird. Then she came in the kitchen with a very nasty cough and when I touched her forehead she was burning up, like the temperature of the sun burning up!"

"Okay."

"So I decided to bring her here and then in the car she coughed up blood."

"Right."

"What do you think it is?" Nathan asked him while Haley took his hand.

"Probably pneumonia. We're gonna do a CT scan as a matter of urgency."

"Okay, we wait here." Nathan said to Alex before he left.

"Hey Beautiful, can you stay with Gracie for a few minutes. I have to talk to Brooke."

"Of course."

"You're my angel." He said before he kissed her forehead.

* * *

><p>"What are you all doing here?"<p>

"Even Santa needs his elfs' help." Brooke replied to her brother with a half smile.

"But Peyton you're basically the Grinch." Nathan teased her.

"You didn't think that I wouldn't be here, did you?" Peyton said before she hugged him.

"Thank you."

"Always." She said and kissed his cheek.

"Larry, even you? I can't believe that Brooke talked you into this." Nathan said approaching Peyton's father.

"You were there everytime my daughter needed you, let me be there for yours just for one time."

"Thanks to everyone. I'll always remember this." Nathan said with emotion in his voice.

"I kinda count on it." Clay joked.

"I'm sure of that." Nathan teased him.

"Okay that was cute and all but we have some work to do!" Brooke said with determination. "Quinn and Clay, you're gonna pick the decorations, nothing tacky, Gracie likes when it's red and green, just classic and chic. Peyton and Jake you're gonna rob FAO Schwarz, the watchword is no limits! We're gonna spoil her, it has to be the best christmas ever!" Brooke decided to make the most of it and play matchmaker. She could see the chemistry between Quinn and Clay and thought that it was time for Peyton and Jake to get their act together and make it up once and for good.

"Can I go with my daughter?" Larry asked.

"I'm sorry Larry but we need you to bring the tree here."

Everyone complied and left the hospital. As Brooke was catching up with Larry, Nathan approached Lucas.

"Don't worry. He's just a crush, that's what she says anyway." Nathan teased him.

"Very funny."

"So Haley got out, at least something good came out of this fucked up situation."

"I don't think it's going to change anything." Lucas said pessimistically.

"Hey! We tried to get her out for more than a month. It's something!"

"Yeah whatever you say." He said running his hand through his hair.

"Okay do you know something? Because in my book that's a good thing."

"This is not a good time to talk about this."

"I can handle it." Nathan insisted.

"I don't think it's a good idea."

"Just tell me what the fuck you know!" Nathan got impatient.

"Alright whatever!" He gave in before looking at him apologetically. "He pimped her out." He said bluntly.

"I'm sorry come again?" Nathan thought that he couldn't have heard him right.

"Apparently West owed money to someone and he couldn't pay him back but the guy had a crush on Haley so he asked her to sleep with him." Lucas paused. "She told me that she did it. But I just have this feeling... I don't know... It's just that I know her and when she talked to me... It was weird... I think that ultimately, she didn't consent to this, like he forced her or something." He finally managed to say.

Nathan stormed off without saying anything. He was too enraged to even say anything. Actually he never experienced such a rage. All he was thinking about was that he had to kill the guy and he knew exactly who it was. The fucking bastard had hurt the woman he loved and he had to pay no matter what.

* * *

><p><strong>Alex Karev and Izzy Stevens well Izzy Karev in that story ahah! I just had to. So? Thoughts?<strong>

**Please review. I need it, it's for motivation. Plus you know it'll make me update faster.**


	24. Chapter 22

**Hey my lovely readers! I'm sorry it took so long again but to be fair I got less reviews. But well it's not entirely your fault. Actually I had a really hard time to write this one. I finished it to weeks ago but I wasn't satisfied so I wrote it again. Anyway I'm not quite sure it's good but this is what it is.**

**Oh a few words for the ones who let a review but don't have an account :**

_**Guest : Well it won't be rainbows and unicorns for Naley yet but time will come...  
>Jules : Well if you like Drama you're gonna get some now.<br>Guest : You'll see in this chapter if Grace is okay and yeah Nathan's finally confronting Haley.  
>Nomie : You're right Brooke is the closest thing Grace has as a mother. Ahah! Brucas is for the long run and they're the only stable couple for now. I'm glad I made your dream come true, I like Izzy and Alex and I was so sad when Izzy left him. Yeah! Haley's finally going to confess to Nate! Hallelujah!<strong>_

_**Good reading!**_

* * *

><p>"Brooke, I think I screwed up." Lucas hesitantly said to Brooke.<p>

"What's wrong hun'?" Brooke asked him with a soft tone, as if she was getting ready to comfort a child.

"I may have said something to your brother..." He said hazardously.

"What?" She asked with concern.

"I told him about Hales." He sighed while running his hand in his hair.

"I don't get it, what about Hales?" Brooke was obviously confused.

"Well, Haley told me something the other day." He paused. "Something big... and she made me promise to not tell a soul... but I just said everything to Nathan two minutes ago... I don't know... I'm just starting to think that it was a terrible idea... that something will go down."

"Lucas! What was that all about?" She got impatient.

"...West owed a lot of money to a bad dude and he sent Hales..."

"Damn it Lucas! What did you do?!" She cut him off. She knew exactly what happened, she had dated the guy for years after all.

Brooke was desperately looking for her brother but he was nowhere in sight. She knew that she only had a few minutes to find him, before it was too late. Nathan always had been well known for his fits of rage, even when he was just a kid.

**FLASHBACK**

This christmas eve was no exception at the Scotts' mansion. Height years old Nathan and six years old Brooke were quietly sat at the table while their mother was emptying a 1500 dollars bottle of _Château Lafite Rothschild.  
><em>Every year it was the same fucking routine. Mommy was drinking because she knew that Daddy prefered to be at work with another woman, younger and prettier.

_Hark! The Herald Angels sing_ was playing as a background music when Dan Scott finally got home. He immediately sat at the table without even bothering to say hello.

"Give me the bottle!" Dan commanded to his son.

Nathan obeyed and grabbed the bottle but it was already empty. Dan started to snigger.

"Wow Deb! I think you've just broken your own record." He paused and laughed mockingly. "I mean it's christmas eve and barely 10 and you've already managed to empty two bottles." He said while clapping. "Nice!"

"Shut up Dan!" Deborah said between her teeth.

"Where's the maid?"

"I know that this concept is really hard to understand for you but it's christmas eve and some people like to spend it with their family." Deborah said sarcastically.

"And what for? To watch their pathetic drunk wife make a fool of herself?" Dan said harshly.

Little Brooke couldn't get her eyes off of her big brother. She knew him well and right now she could see the anger in his eyes as he was staring at their father insulting their mother. Brooke took his hand under the table to calm him down.

"Anyway be useful for once in your pathetic life and bring a bottle of Château Petrus." Dan said wearing a despicable smirk on his face.

"It's okay Mommy I'm on it." Nathan stood up. He definitely needed to get away from his father anyway.

"Sit!" Dan ordered firmly. "It is not your place." He added and Nathan sat down immediately. "And Deb, try to not drink all of it before you come back here." He overdid it and Deborah left the table without saying a word.

"So Nathan, did you apologize to the little West like I've asked you?"

"But I didn't do anything wrong! He's the one wh..." Nathan protested.

"Enough!" Dan cut his son off. "You will do as I say, period!" He added looking at him sternly.

"But Dad..."

"I've had enough of your impudence, you little brat! The West family and ours are making business together for nearly thirty years now and I won't let you jeopardize that. Did I make myself clear?"

"Yes sir." Nathan said as he looked down at his plate.

Deborah arrived a few minutes later in the room and was about to put down the bottle of wine on the table but unfortunately she stumbled and let it down and it shattered on the ground.

"You're really good for nothing!" Dan told her as she started to cry. "And you, what are you waiting for?" He asked Brooke. "She can barely stand up, go help her!" He ordered her but before she was about to leave her sit, Nathan stopped her.

"Let me do this or you're gonna cut yourself." Nathan gently said to her little sister.

"Stop treating her like a baby!" He paused looking at Nathan. "Brooke go!" He said to his daughter.

Brooke went to help her mother and while her mother was crying she had a few tears rolling down her cheeks. _Yelling, crying and drinking, it must be Christmas!_ Nathan thought to himself while watching her mother and sister crying as they were trying to clean the mess. He was very young but already so cynical.  
>While Dan was watching the scene and enjoying this way too much, Nathan was angrier and angrier, clenching his fists and tapping his foot under the table. He hated this, usually his father was mean to his mother but never to Brooke, he wasn't a loving father either but still, not cruel. It was unbearable, there was nothing in this world that he loved more than his little sister so when his father started to laugh when Brooke cut her finger with a piece of glass, Nathan grabbed his fork and stabbed it in his father's hand with all he got.<p>

"YOU LITTLE SON OF A BITCH!" Dan yelled out, the fork still stuck in his bloody hand.

**END OF FLASHBACK**

* * *

><p>Nathan headed for Grace's room. He had just took some fresh air for about ten minutes, not that it was nearly enough but he had to pull himself together. The thing was that as a father he had to, you can't let yourself go when you're a parent, especially with a kid like Grace who h this kind of condition. No matter what it takes, you need to have your shit together every single day. So Nathan did what he always did; he pushed all the crap aside, he'll explode when he'll have the time, now his daughter was the priority.<p>

When Nathan opened the door, he saw Haley with Grace's hand in hers while she was singing a lullaby to her and he caught himself thinking 'what if', what if they could have a happy ending, what if they could be a family, what if Haley could be a mother to Grace, he even dared to think about having a baby with her, but quickly shook his head to take himself out of his daydream. The odds was never in his favor anyway.

"Hey."

Haley jumped, she hadn't noticed that he was listening to her.

"You scared me." She said her hand on her chest giving him her best smile.

An hour ago Nathan could have believe in it, but now that he knew everything, he knew it was fake, because how someone could have the courage to smile after having experienced something like this? Haley was a pro, she was doing this for a living, her smile seemed so genuine, after all she had years of practice.

"I'm sorry." He smiled back at her but he was screaming inside. He was a pro too, he had faked it his entire life.

If he had to make a top ten about all the many horrible days in his life, this one would probably arrived in third position, just after the day his beloved wife died and the day they had to burry their mother. A mother that was a lot like Haley, amazing women with hearts of gold and really not lucky with men. He had tried to protect his mother, but he couldn't protect her from herself, he had told her many times to get a divorce but she never had listened to him. Now Haley had this unhealthy bond with Damien West, the guy who ruined her life, yeah Deborah Scott and Haley James were definitely similar. They were consumed by the pain, it was like a drug, the kind you can't give up. Someone said once that future is just history repeating itself, he was right.

"She's gonna be okay." Haley attempted to reassure him.

Nathan was about to say something when Alex Karev entered in the room.

"Alright! Let's do this little warrior!" Alex Karev said to Grace who was barely awake and the stretcher-bearer started to move the bed to bring her to the CT scan room.

"Wait." Grace said weekly. "Can I talk to Haley?"

"Okay but you have to do it really quick." Alex said and winked at her before everyone but Haley left the room.

"I'm gonna die." Grace bluntly said with a disconcerting lucidity, especially for a five year old kid.

"Stop! Okay?" Haley paused. "You're not going to die."

"Maybe not this time, but someday and sooner that it should be." She bowed to the evidence while Haley was trying really hard to hold the tears.

"I'm just afraid that nobody will take care of my daddy now that Auntie B. is getting married. He seems like a really tough guy but I know better." She said wanting to cry but she was too weak anyway. "You love him right?" She asked and Haley just nodded with a half smile struggling through her tears. "Will you take care of him for me?"

"Grace! You're gonna be okay." Haley said refusing to have this conversation.

"Promise me!" Grace insisted.

"I promise." Haley said after a few seconds of hesitation. Then she hugged her and started to leave.

"And Haley?"

"Yeah." She turned around to her as she was just at the door.

"It was nice to know what it was like."

"What?" Haley was confused.

"To have a real family."

"See you soon Gracie." Haley replied with a smile to reassure her but in reality it was more to reassure herself.

* * *

><p>"God, I hate Christmas!" Peyton exclaimed just after that an old lady had literally snatched the last <em>Furby <em>from her hands. "Christmas spirit my ass!"

"It's my first time. I usually go back to San Francisco and I go out to the theater with Yael then we go to the same chinese restaurant, every single year." Jake nonchalantly said.

"So it's not a legend? Jews really go to the theater and eat chinese during Christmas eve." She said and Jake shrugged. "So do you have any ideas for Gracie?" She asked after a few minutes of awkward silence as they were walking around the store but Jake just shrugged again. "Aww! Look at this! It's so cute." She said while hugging a cute teddy bear.

"Yeah." He sighed.

"Look! I know it's gonna be really awkward between us but your best friends are dating and getting married with the two people I consider my family, so can we at least try to be friends?"

"No." Jake replied bluntly.

"No? What do you mean no?" Peyton asked confused. They were adults not teenagers, they could get passed that.

"I just meant no. I just don't want to and even if I tried I couldn't just be friend with you."

"But..." She trailed off unable to find the good words.

"God Peyton! I love you, I am madly in love with you. How am I supposed to be just friend with you?"

"I don't know!" She almost shouted. "I just thought that better having you in my life as a friend that not having you at all."

"I'm sorry Peyton. I just can't. It's too damn hard when you're around me being fucking perfect and all."

"Thanks I guess." She said a sad look on her face, not sure if she should be flattered or upset.

"But you know one day you might come to your senses and will finally realize how stupid it is. When it will be that day just call me. Because I'm going to wait for you Peyton Sawyer." He said before he kissed her chastely on the lips and left leaving Peyton completely dumbfounded.

"You did not leave me here! How am I supposed to do all this by myself? Fucking Christmas! Fucking Jake Jagielski." She said to herself.

* * *

><p>Brooke let out a sigh of relief when she saw Nathan pacing up and down the hallway. She walked slowly towards him so she could have the time to think about what she would say to him one last time.<p>

"Finally! Here you are." She said before she embraced him.

"What's going on Brooke?" He asked her. "Would you let me go?" He said after almost a minute.

"I was afraid you took off." She said her eyes closed still hugging him.

"Now, why would I do that?"

"Are we really going to do this?"

"Do what?" He played dumb. He knew his sister. This behavior was a sign that she probably knew everything already.

"You're exhausting." She sighed. "Really! I'm tired of pretending that you're not a fucking time bomb ready to explode!" She got impatient.

"I'm okay. Gracie's going to be okay."

"This is all fucked up Nate! You know I'm not talking about Gracie. So just stop! Stop okay!"

"I'll deal with this later. Right now I need to focus on my little girl." He said before he saw Alex Karev from afar. "Hey, here's Alex."

"Okay." She sighed. "I have some stuff to plan but please call me when you have some news."

"Sure. See you later." He said before he took off.

"Please Nate, don't do anything stupid." She whispered to herself. "Who am I kidding? This is Nate, of course he's going to do something stupid."

* * *

><p>"I was right!" Alex said before Nathan even had the chance to say something.<p>

"So it's a pneumonia." Nathan said not really relieved.

"Yes indeed."

"Is she gonna be okay?

"I don't know yet. We're gonna do a rachiocentesis in order to find out which type of bacterium is involved, then according to the results we're gonna try to give her antibiotics that are specific. For now she's going to be on broad spectrum antibiotics."

"And what if the results are not conclusive?" Nathan asked him. He was used to this type of procedure so he knew that sometimes they just didn't find an answer.

"Well, let's hope that broad spectrum antibiotics will work."

"Thank you so much for reassuring me." Nathan said sarcastically.

"Nate, I'm not going to lie to you, the odds are stacked against her but I also know something else. That little one..." He trailed off pointing at Grace's room with his finger. "She's a fighter!"

"I know but..."

"No you don't!" Alex cut Nathan off. "I've been around for quite a while now, so I know how much it's important to have the willing to live, to just want it. Everybody here would tell you this. It is everything."

Nathan came in Grace's room while a nurse put an intravenous infusion of antibiotics on her. Her veins were thin and they were rolling which made it really hard for the nurse. She had to sting several times before she finally made it but Grace had never complained, not even once.

* * *

><p>Lucas and Haley were having lunch at the cafeteria. He was trying to find a good way to tell her that he had betrayed her, that he had told the truth to Nathan.<p>

"You've barely touched your food." Lucas noticed.

"And what do you want me to do?! Stroke it!" She replied aggressively. She had thought that considering the circumstances, he would leave her alone, at least for this time.

"I'm sorry. I'm probably being a little insensitive." Lucas apologized. "But I'm just worried about you, you know."

"We should focus on Grace today and pray for her. She's gonna need it." She said as Lucas nodded.

"Haley?" He called her after a few seconds of silence.

"Yeah?"

"I need to tell you something." He said with apprehension.

"I'm listening." She said nonchalantly while still thinking about Grace.

"Nathan is really concerned about you, you know?" He started to say.

"Since when are you speaking with Nathan? I thought you couldn't stand him." She asked, her interest suddenly piqued.

"Well I'm gonna marry his sister and Brooke is really closed to him. Plus, he's gonna be the only uncle of my kids. Also you're my best friend and you two seem to be for the long run so I guess we're gonna have to make some effort." He explained.

"It's about time!"

"Anyway, he was trying to find a way to get rid of Damien West for good and..."

"Wait what?!" She cut him off not believing what she was hearing.

"Just for the record, I'm totally with him on this."

"I can't believe this." Haley shook her head. "I told the two of you to let him be."

"Actually you told me nothing. But that's not the point."

"Oh my god! Next you're gonna tell me that you told everything to Nathan." Haley said not seriously.

"Well..." Lucas trailed off.

"Please Lucas!" She begged him. "Please tell me you did not do that!"

"I'm sorry Hales. He's working with someone from his past and I was thinking that..."

"Who?!" She asked him firmly urging him to respond.

"I can't remember his name. I just know that he's a bad guy. I'm sorry."

"Yeah sorry, it's all that you seem to be lately."

"I thought it would help." He simply said, he couldn't think of anything better to say.

"And I thought we were friends. Guess we were both wrong. Also do me a favor, stop thinking." She said before she started to leave.

"Hales wait!"

"Don't bother! I don't want to speak to you ever again!"

"It's got to be Lucas' day!" He said sarcastically to himself after she left.

* * *

><p>Everyone had made a wonderful work. Brooke had supervized everything. The decoration was beautiful and it was really hard to believe that they were in a hospital room. They all wished a merry christmas to Grace and said goodbye. Only Nathan, Haley, Brooke and Lucas stayed at the hospital. Haley stayed to support Nathan and Lucas to support Brooke. Nathan had tried to tell them to go home but nobody had listened. They had watched <em>It's a wonderful life<em>. It was Grace's favorite christmas movie.  
>Except Nathan, they had all fell asleep quite fastly, they weren't supposed to all sleep in the room but nobody ever said no to the Scott family considering that they had basically built the whole hospital and were probably giving enough money to pay the entire personnel.<br>Nathan couldn't sleep. He was constantly watching the monitor. When the nurse came in to change the antibiotic drip and take her temperature around 3 am, he was relieved that her temperature had quite dropped. It meant that the treatment was working.

"Daddy?" Grace called Nathan whispering. She didn't want to wake everyone up.

"What is it Buttercup?" He whispered as well while sitting next to her on the edge of the bed.

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"For watching me all night. Because of you I wasn't afraid to fall asleep."

"What else would you want me to do? Your my only daughter. I'll sleep when you'll be okay." He said tenderly to her.

"I was thinking that I didn't warn the riding school that I wouldn't be able to ride Mellow Yellow this week." She said a little worried.

"Don't think about it. You focus on your recovery and I take care of the rest, okay?" He said and she nodded.

"I love you Daddy."

"I love you more." He responded before he kissed her forehead.

* * *

><p>After that Alex had confirmed that the treatment was really working and that Grace had opened her gazillion presents Lucas and Brooke came home.<p>

They stay quiet in the elevator until the doors finally opened.

"How about a good bubble bath?" Lucas proposed waiting at the first step of the stairs.

"Hum." She shrugged before she went straight to the kitchen and he went up the stairs.

Lucas lit a few candles. He grabbed the Chanel foaming gel and run a bath. Then he put on some soothing music.

"Brooke!" He called her as he was going down the stairs. "The water won't stay warm forever!" He spoke loud but she didn't answer. "Pretty girl, where are you?" He said coming in the kitchen before he saw her.

Brooke was sat on the ground against the wall staring into space.

"Brooke are you okay?" He asked very concerned.

"I... I...I'm..." She tried to speak but it was like words were just stuck.

"Look, I'm sorry. I know I've messed up with your brother but..."

He didn't finish his sentence because Brooke suddenly started to cry hysterically. She just couldn't hold it anymore. She was trying to catch her breath but the more she was breathing the more she was suffocating as if oxygen was poisonous.

"Brooke, baby! Please!" He said squatting down next to her. "Talk to me." He spoke again as he put his arms around her.

"I don't... I don't want to do this ever again." She managed to say between sobs. She had lost too much people she loved in this hospital.

"Shhh! Everyone is okay. She's okay." He guessed right away what it was all about. "I'm gonna take care of you." He whispered as he lifted her and carried her in his arms.

In the bathroom, he slowly took off her cardigan. He kneeled down and kissed her belly.

"You're my miracle." He breathed against her stomach and a slight smile came through her tears.

He finished to undress her before he carried her towards the bathtub. And as he was starting to wash her, he started to think what kind of good deed he could have done to deserve someone like her. She was there looking all vulnerable and more beautiful than ever and he knew it was a big deal because she must love him very much to let down her guard completely, she must think that he was worthy of her trust. And that was in that moment that he swore to all the gods above that never he would hurt her and that he would love her until the end of time.

* * *

><p>Grace came home two weeks later. Unfortunately her lungs were in a bad shape and she needed more care so she wouldn't be able to go to school anymore. But she was cured and safe, well the safest someone in her condition could be.<p>

Everything was going back to normal except that Nathan and Haley hadn't talked about her past yet. He was waiting for her to open up but she knew that he knew for two weeks now and he just couldn't have this hanging over their heads anymore.

"So you just won't speak to me?" Nathan asked out of nowhere after they had just gone to bed.

"But I'm talking to you."

"Goddamit Haley! I'm fucking tired of this!" He got impatient. He was willing to let her come to him at her own pace but now it felt like she was taking him for an idiot. "I love you! What the fuck is the matter with you that you can't just let me?"

"That's because I don't deserve it."

"Haley." He said cupping her head in his hands. "What happened wasn't your fault in any case!"

"But I agreed for this. He was expecting me to do it." She started to cry.

"Bullshit!" He paused. "Even if you are both naked, you still have the right to say no. Hell! Even if you're already having sex and that in the middle of it you're not comfortable anymore, you still have the right to stop!"

"But..."

"No buts. We're humans not animals. No means no, it's just simple as that." He cut her off.

"That's not all..." She trailed off.

"Just spill it out! You'll feel better after that." He said not knowing that it would actually make him feel a whole lot worse.

"I want you to stay away from Daunte."

"How do you know?" He asked surprised.

"Lucas. I guessed when he referred him as a bad guy."

"Why?"

"Because he's the one with his two friends who raped me." She replied bluntly. It was the first time she put it into words.

Nathan let sink her words for a few seconds and swallowed hard. Was she talking of gang rape? He didn't have hearing problem?

"FUCKING HELL!" He yelled as he jumped of the bed.

"Nathan!" She called him but he wasn't listening anymore.

Nathan quickly slipped his pants on. Everything was too much. This was too much and he just couldn't push it aside, his fury was overwhelming. As he was finishing to get dressed, Haley tried to pull him out of his transe but it just didn't work. He was into deep.

Nathan went down the stairs followed by Haley who was crying and yelling at him.

He took his father's semi-automatic who was in the safe. He who had always hated guns and swore he would never touch one, was ready to use it. He would do a service to this planet anyway. This bastard didn't deserve to live and surely wouldn't be missed.  
>He loaded the gun and came in the elevator looking one last time at Haley convincing himself that he was doing the right thing.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>So? I don't know about this.<strong>

**Please review and I'll update faster! Thanks.**


	25. Chapter 23

**So I know it's been a while I was really busy. Thanks for all the reviews I'm still looking forward to read them.**

**A few words for the people who doesn't have an account :**

_**Guest :**_** I'm maybe a sadist I don't know but I didn't want to depress you I'm sorry. And I'm gonna kill Gracie... yet! I'm kidding I'm not gonna kill her at all like I'm not heartless.  
><em>Nomie : <em>You'll find out about Nate! Well every story needs a good vilain and in that story his name is Damien West.  
><strong>**_OTHfangirl :_** **Lol quoting Mean girls gotta love it!  
><em>Aure : <em>Glad to hear about you again and you'll find out about Nate in that chapter.  
><em>Guest : <em>Thanks for the review and I hope that I didn't make you wait too long.**

**Okay now here's the real deal. There's two parts in this so enjoy.**

**Also THIS CHAPTER HAVE SOME SEXUAL CONTENTS : YOU'VE BEEN WARNED**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>"Baby?" Lucas whispered waiting for a reaction. "Baby?" He said louder lying besides Brooke, his hand around her waist.<p>

"Mmh!" Brooke grumbled.

"Brooke!" He called her firmly after he lit the bedside lamp.

"What is it Broody? Are you moping around again? I know that as a writer it's a part of the whole thing but Baby, can you let me out of it during the night? I need my beauty sleep." Brooke mumbled half asleep.

"So you haven't heard all the yelling?"

"What are you talking about?" Brooke asked as she sat immediately.

"I don't know..." He trailed off.

"Lucas!" She urged him.

"Well like I just said, there was a lot of yelling, Nathan seemed infuriated and then I've heard Haley screaming and begging him to calm down and then nothing. I think he took off."

"Why didn't you wake me up?" She said getting out of the bed before she started to get dressed.

"I don't know I thought that after everything you needed some sleep." Lucas replied getting dressed as well.

"This is bad." She paused puting a sweatpants on. "This is really bad!" She emphasized.

"Baby, please you have to calm down. We don't even know what this is all about yet." Lucas tried to reason with her even if he knew that it would be no use. Brooke always went crazy when it was about her big brother, at first he didn't get it but then he realised that Nathan had been her whole world almost her entire life. It used to be just the two of them. Yes, there was Peyton or even Clay, but it wasn't the same, at least not exactly.

Brooke wasn't even listening. She stormed out like the bedroom was on fire and went down the stairs calling out Haley like a total crazy person. She went in every room and Lucas followed her, but Haley was already gone.

"Auntie B.?" Grace said with sleep-filled eyes at her bedroom frame door.

"Hey sweetie." Lucas said softly as he knelt down to pick her up while Brooke was still running around. "Let's go back to sleep, okay?" He kissed her cheek gently after that she had nodded while sucking her thumb.

Lucas put Grace to bed and she fell asleep instantly. He closed the door quietly behind him and went find Brooke. He went in every room and finally found her in the library. She was clearly looking for something because all the drawers were opened and the place was just a giant mess.

"Damn it!" Brooke shouted frustrated.

"Let me help you. What are you looking for?" Lucas offered.

"A remote control. I need to open the safe." She sighed.

"The safe?" He asked incredulously.

"Yeah behind the Degas."

"Wait! It's not a reproduction?"

"It's called _Répétition d'un ballet sur la scène. _Nathan has bought it for Victoire a few years ago at a charity gala. Now can we speak about painting later and find the damn thing?" She said completely on edge.

"Relax! I've found it." He said holding out the remote control to her.

"I'll calm down when all of this will be over."

Brooke slid the painting over the wall with the remote control before she dialed the code and opened the safe.

"No, no, no, no, no! This is not happening!"

"What? What was in there?"

Everything went in slow motion. When Lucas told her, she knew that something was wrong. She just knew. She was expecting it for a long time now. She was even surprised that it had taken this long before Nathan went crazy to a whole new level. She should have been prepared and yet she froze. The idea of losing him, or living without him terrified her. Nathan had always been the constant in her life.

Lucas called out her name several times but she didn't reply. He walked towards her and started to shake her but not too much. He just wanted to get a reaction out of her, the last thing he wanted was to hurt the babies or her.

"Brooke! Baby! I'm begging you!" Lucas shouted out but she was still numb, her eyes emotionless. "Baby! Please, you're scaring me." He continued desperately.

Two minutes later, seeing that it wasn't going anywhere he decided to call Haley then Nathan. But neither of them picked up their phone.

"Fuck!" He yelled running his hand through his hair frustratingly before he went through his contact again. He hesitated for a few second, not sure if he should call Peyton or Clay. He finally went with Clay, he always had a way with her, not that he didn't bother him but right now he was desperate.

"Something's wrong here. Nathan and Haley took off and now Brooke is in shock. I don't know what to do." Lucas got straight to the point. "Ok thanks." He said before he hung up.

Clay arrived barely ten minutes later. He lived closed to them.

"Hey Brooke." He said softly before he noticed that the safe was empty. "What the fuck Nate!" was his first reaction.

"Okay can somebody tell me what the fuck is going on?" Lucas really started to get impatient.

"Where's Nate?" Clay ignored Lucas' question.

"I don't know and I don't care! Just tell me what is wrong with her." He asked with pleading eyes.

"There's used to be a semi automatic in there and now it's gone, and Nate's gone..."

"What?!"

"Nate left with a gun and he hates guns so it's really bad." Clay explained.

"But wha... I... I just don't..."

"He's saying that either my brother kills someone or he gets killed. Just simple as that." Brooke said bluntly, she was finally with them.

"No!" Clay protested. "I'm gonna get him before it's too late."

"I'm coming with you." Brooke said.

"Uh uh!" Lucas shook his head. "That's not gonna happen."

"It's my brother! I'm coming." She insisted while heading for the door.

"No, you're not." Lucas stated standing in front of her and grabbing her arm. "If you think that I'm gonna let my pregnant fiancée got out in the middle of the night to save her idiotic brother then you're out of you're freaking mind!"

"Lucas! Insulting Nate is really not helping." Clay tried to reason with him.

"Lucas! Let go of me." She commanded while struggling. "Let go of me!"

"Brooke, look at me." He said waiting for her to calm down.

She struggled for maybe a couple of minutes before she finally calm down. She sighed and looked at Lucas angrily. He was just wasting their time and now time was precious.

"I get it. I know that it's your brother and that for a very long time he was your only family. But not anymore Brooke. I'm gonna be your husband soon enough and you're caring our babies, we're also your family."

"But he needs me!"

"And I need you!" He paused. "I know. I know it's hard because you love him. You love him probably more than you'll ever love me." He paused again and laughed without humor. "But I love you too, more than anything. You and the two little person that are growing inside of you... You're my whole world and I'd be damned if I let something happened to any of you. So you can be mad at me, you can hate me all you want but that's it! You're not going anywhere! You stay here. Hell! I'll force you if I have to!" He said very firmly.

"But..."

"I go with Clay." Lucas cut her off. "Nothing's gonna happen to him, right Clay?" He said turning to Clay for help.

"Brooke, he's like a brother and you know I always got your back. I'm not coming back without him." Clay replied.

"I promise you." Lucas said looking right into her eyes and she nodded. He softly kissed her forehead his eyes closed. "I love you." He whispered.

* * *

><p>Nathan knocked on the door frantically. He swore that he would just break open the door if he had to.<p>

"Of course it had to be you." Damien West said sarcastically while rolling his eyes.

"Mr. Scott?" Daunte was obviously surprised to see Nathan here.

"Even better. Now I won't have to find your sorry ass later. I can hit two targets with one bullet. Like literally." Nathan exclaimed with his trademark smirk. He strongly believed that smiling was the quickest way to undermine his opponents' position before a fight.

"So you've finally firgured it out? Man, I knew you were slow but it's been like what?... Six months already." Damien made fun of Nathan.

"It's just because it's so fucked up that I couldn't even imagine the whole thing in the first place. But then it's you, so that's not surprising."

"I'm not following." Daunte interrupted them.

"He's not following." Nathan said to himself before he started to laugh uncontrollably. "Fucking great!" He added sarcastically.

"O-kay! Love the company here, but I have a date. Blonde, petite, feisty... Actually she's a lot like your girlfriend." Damien provoked Nathan.

"It's fucking midnight."

"Yeah booty call." Damien smirked.

"Well call her and tell her to reschedule to another life because you're not going anywhere anytime soon." Nathan suggested just after he had taken his gun in his back pocket and pointed it at Damien.

"Wowow! Chill out man!" Daunte raised his hands in front of his chest.

"You got to be kidding me." Damien chuckled. "You can relax, he doesn't have the balls to pull the trigger." He turned to Daunte.

"Watch me!" Nathan responded with determination and pure hatred in his eyes.

"Whatever Scott, I'm leaving." Damien said as he was about to leave.

"If I were you, before I'd move one single muscle, I'd think about this." Nathan paused. "You assaulted my best friend, you broke my little sister's heart far too many times and you ruined beyond repair the woman I love." He paused again the barrel still pointing at him. "Now just think about how much you sicken me."

"I get why you wanted to end him." Daunte said to Nathan.

"You shut up; you fucking shut up!" Nathan turned to Daunte.

"If you ask me, she doesn't worth the trouble." Damien shrugged.

"Still, I don't get what it has to do with me."

"Remember when I owed you a lot of money and I offered you my girl on a plate instead? Yeah she's his girlfriend now." Damien explained taunting Nathan.

"Yeah maybe, I don't remember her." Daunte shrugged like it was nothing.

"Really? Blonde, petite... she likes it rough!"

"ENOUGH! Everyone shut their fucking mouth!" Nathan shouted.

"Nathan?" Haley showed up at the door. Her voice was trembling. She was trying to ignore the fact that her rapist was in the same room as her.

"What are you doing here Haley?" Nathan asked her without turning around, he was still pointing his gun at Damien who was right in front of him.

"Nathan, please come with me." She pleaded him.

"Go home Haley!"

"Not without..."

"NOW!" He yelled not allowing her to finish.

Haley had borrowed Nathan's old Aston Martin, after that he had left with the gun she had panicked and took the first keys she could found. She knew exactly where he was going and what he was about to do and she won't let it happen. It was all her fault and he wouldn't be here if she hadn't came into his life, she had ruined him, at least it was what she thought.

"And what are you gonna do, huh?" Haley asked with teary eyes.

"I'm gonna blow up their fucking heads! That's what I'm gonna do. And I'm gonna start with him." Nathan said to Haley talking about Damien.

"Please don't."

"How can you still love him Haley? I just don't get it, how can you feel something other than pure hatred for the man responsible of your misery?" He finally looked at her.

"I don't... I don't love him anymore." She answered hesitantly, not sure of what she was saying.

"So let me do it. He deserves to die."

"Don't."

"Why not?"

It was now or never. She needed to let it out.  
>For a very long time, her only goal was to destroy herself, and now she wanted to stop, she had this common temptation to want to be happy, but for that he needed to stop as well, because he was the key to her happiness.<br>She wasn't naive though. She knew that there wasn't such a thing as pure bliss and she had learnt in the past that being happy was actually the best way to destroy herself. But she was tired of being alone and she had figured that if she had to be miserable for the rest of her life, then she wanted to be miserable with him.

"Because I love you. I'm in love with you Nathan."

"That's adorable." Damien rolled his eyes.

"Don't listen to him Nathan. I love you. Of course I love you." Haley said with a gentle voice while reaching to Nathan. "But you need to stop right here so we can be happy together... with Gracie." She added. Mentionning his beloved daughter would certainly help her case.

"Puh-lease! You and me it will never be over. Ever!"

"For the love of god Damien stop talking!"

"Alright! You can go have your fun with him. I don't care because I know you'll come back to me eventually. You always do."

"I won't because I figured that if I was clinging to you it was because you were the one putting me back together whenever I was falling apart now I realized that you were the one breaking me to begin with."

"So that's what you're telling yourself to sleep at night?" Damien asked rhetorically as he started to snigger. "You and I both know that all what you're saying is crap. I mean come on Doll, you love to be miserable! You don't want to play house with him and you certainly don't want to be happy. That's just fucking boring. You and I were maybe bad but we were fucking great!" He said as he started to come closer to Haley.

Nathan shoot at the ceilling to finally make him shut up. Damien West was making him sick and there was no chance in hell that this sick bastard would come any closer to the woman he loved.

"You stay the fuck away from her West!" Nathan ordered him and Haley started to cry hysterically.

"Hey bro." Clay said calmly as he arrived with Lucas. "What are you doing?"

"Wow! Next Brooke's gonna show up." Nathan said sarcastically.

"What's happening Nate?"

"We'd be better off without him." Nathan replied to Clay.

"Come on Nate, you can't do this out of anger you know you're gonna get caught." Clay said coming closer to him.

"Dont do this. I can't go back and tell your sister that our children won't have their uncle around. I just can't do that, it's gonna break her heart, she won't recover from that, ever! You're her person. I know that you and I we've started on the wrong foot but I need you to help me to take care of her." Lucas also tried to reason with him.

"Come on Nate, you do this, it's twenty years... Gracie's childhood... all gone. You really don't want that. Just give me the gun."

Nathan hated Damien and Daunte but not as much as he loved his family, not as much as he loved Haley. For the very first time in a long time he was seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. Everytime Haley was kissing him, he could taste happiness at the tip of his tongue and when she said five minutes ago that she was in love with him, her voice sounded like a promise of a new beginning. He wanted it, he wanted this so bad. So he lowered his hand with the gun.

"Now I remember her." Daunte paused and smirked. "Ooh! She felt so fucking tight around my d..."

And that was it. Nathan shut him out with a bullet right in his balls. Daunte screamed out in pain and started to bleed like a pig in a slaughterhouse.  
>Clay called 911, he would have let him die for all he cared but that would mean that Nathan would end up in jail for a very long time.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>TWO WEEKS LATER<strong>

Daunte didn't lodge a complaint, he didn't want to attract authorities' attention. Aggravated procuring, drug trafficking, or even illegal gambling, they'd just had to pick. Daunte was a big fish.

Nathan had pushed aside his desire of revenge for now, his little sister was getting married in three days, he'll deal with Damien West later.

"So Vegas? You guys are so predictable!" Brooke said to Lucas who was reading after she had just finished her antenatal yoga workout.

"Hey, I'm not responsible. Jake planned the whole thing and apparently we're going with the private jet of your company. God it feels good to be rich!" Lucas joked.

"But I'm the rich one Broody." Brooke played along before she went on top of him all sweaty. "So you better be nice with me." She moaned in his ear before she captured his lips languorously. "I need to take a shower."

"No, you pretty girl are going to stay right here and ride me." He said naughtily while putting his hands on her hips.

"Honey not in front of the children!" Brooke pretended to be offended.

"They're not even here yet and they're already ruining my sexual life." Lucas sighed.

"I figured that I should train you."

"How about sexual marathon training?" Lucas said suggestively while cupping her breast.

"Okay! Peyton picks us up in two hours and I have tons of things to do. Bye!" She said before she disappeared in the bathroom.

"Not fair!" Lucas pouted. "Where are you all going anyway?" He said louder so Brooke could hear him even if she was in the bathroom.

"I don't know. Not that I haven't tried to find out but Peyton had insisted to keep it a secret." She replied frustratingly and Lucas started to laugh.

"Why are you laughing?" She asked before she put her electric toothbrush in her mouth as she was at the bathroom frame door.

"Knowing you, you must be pissed."

"Like hell!" She managed to articulate despite the toothbrush.

* * *

><p>"Hey Beautiful, you make that dress look amazing." Nathan said coming in the room before he hugged Haley from behind.<p>

"I feel fat." She said looking at herself in the mirror.

"Now this is crazy, you're not fat, this adjective doesn't even begin to describe you. And you know what's really powerfully sexy? Hips to grab on to, a healthy glow, appetite, confidence." He said as his dark blue eyes were meeting her hazel eyes in the mirror. "I'm glad that you're eating better Haley. I know that it's hard on you but you're getting there, I'm proud of you."

"It's all because of you."

"Don't underestimate your strength, you did it all by yourself." He said as he hugged her tighter.

"So are you ready for the big day?"

"I'm relieved actually. Brooke always had this bad habit to pick the worst guys ever and well Lucas is not that bad and I know that he's going to take good care of my sister so yeah... It's a relief."

"Who would have thought? I just can't believe that you and Jake planned him a bachelor weekend."

"Haley, you can't be mad at him forever. He's your best friend."

"You nearly killed someone because he couldn't keep his mouth shut." She protested.

"No, I nearly killed someone because I couldn't deal with my anger. Trust me it's not his fault, I've always had a temper problem."

"I'm sorry I just can't. I trusted him and he betrayed me. I just don't know how to get past that. When you're entrusted with a secret you

keep it no matter what, period."

"Well, you better figure it out because the wedding is in three days and you're her best man or best woman... I don't even know how to call it."

"I know." Haley sighed.

"Alright Beautiful. I've got to go. Maybe I'll see you in Vegas."

"I can't believe that Peyton and Jake had the same idea. They're really do think alike. I wish they could get their acts together."

"Look at you preaching for love and stuff. There's hope for everyone after all." Nathan teased her.

"Hey!" Haley turned around and hit his arm.

"Ouch! That hurts."

* * *

><p>"You guys are so lame!" Brooke said and they hadn't even taken off yet.<p>

"Oh come on it's gonna be fun." Peyton tried to convince her.

"But Vegas? I can't even drink. And since I'm pregnant we should had have the private jet." Brooke pouted.

"Stop complaining and be nice."

Brooke was a little disappointed. She wanted to go at the spa and relax, she was pregnant, she didn't want to go wild.

"So Quinn what's your deal with Clay? Do you like him?" Brooke said out of the blue.

"Well that was random." Quinn said. "But yeah he's a nice guy."

"I think he likes you."

"He's in love with someone else."

"And I think you're the perfect girl for him." Brooke said completely aware that Quinn was talking about her.

"You were right, she's the perfect matchmaker." Quinn said to her sister.

"Oh you didn't see anything yet!" Peyton tried to warn Quinn. "That girl is crazy! She won't leave you alone until the two of you are married with two kids."

"What about you Goldilocks? When are you gonna pull yourself together and finally make up with Jagielski?"

"Here we are again!" Peyton sighed while Haley was laughing.

"You weren't laughing when she was teasing you about Nate and when at first you couldn't stand him."

"I'm serious Miss Sawyer. Life is short and you love him anything else is irrelevant."

"It's complicated."

"When it isn't?"

"I second that." Haley agreed with Brooke. "There always gonna be something in the way."

"He wants kids and I don't want any. I think it pretty much sets us up for failure."

* * *

><p>"My pickup line is I drink a lot of pinapple juice, so my cum probably tastes quite tropical" Clay said as he was already pretty drunk.<p>

"What?!" Lucas nearly spit out his drink.

"You're kidding right?" Jake asked.

"I can assure you that he's not kidding." Nathan replied. "No wonder you're single you perv." He teased Clay.

"But it's going very well. I've been single for a while now and it's really working out. I think I'm the one." Clay joked.

"Hope you'll be happy with yourself." Lucas teased him.

"What about you Jagielski? Are you gonna be stupid enough to let Peyton Sawyer go? I'm telling you that girl is really something. There isn't another one like her." Nathan said to Jake.

"I know that but she said that we were doomed or something. Because she doesn't want kids. But damn it! I don't even know if I want kids."

"Listen! I grew up with that girl, I know her. She's just afraid, so keep trying man. She'll come around."

"Thanks man. I appreciate."

"You're welcome. I just want her to be happy."

"About that you and Haley are doing great. Are you gonna propose or something?"

"Wowow! Easy there. We're not quite here yet. Well more like she's not quite here. I don't want to freak her out." Nathan replied to Jake.

"God I hate that I didn't do anything to stop that twisted son of a bitch. I knew that something shady was going on but..."

"It's okay, it's not your fault."

"How a girl like Haley could be with a prick like that? I just don't get it." Lucas said.

"The same way a girl like my sister dated him for years."

"Ugh! Don't remind me that."

"This guy needs to be stopped." Jake said.

"Don't worry I'm gonna take care of that."

"Nate." Clay warned him.

"Relax! I'm not gonna kill him but when I'm gonna be done with him, he's gonna wish he was dead."

Nathan had maybe cooled off but that didn't mean that he would let Damien West get away with all the bad things he did. He needed to pay for his actions, he'll make sure of that.

* * *

><p>Brooke wandered in the Caesar Palace's hall and finally ended up in the bar when she saw Lucas sitting alone at the counter.<p>

"Hey stranger! What's your name?"

"You can call me whatever you want Pretty girl." Lucas played along smoothly.

"Mysterious." She said before she sat next to him. "I like that."

"So what's your story Pretty girl?" He flirted with her.

"I'm gonna get married in two days."

"Lucky guy."

"That's my bachelorette party and all my friends are drunk so I was thinking that maybe I could find some company here."

"Cold feet?" He said smiling at her.

"Never. He's the most amazing guy I've ever met. I can't wait to marry him but I admit that I could ditch everything for this pretty smile of yours." She flirted back.

"What would you say if I told you that the view up in my room is amazing?"

"I'd say let's go see that."

Lucas grabbed Brooke's hand and they headed for the elevators. The wait was unbearable. When the elevator doors finally opened Brooke was glad that they were alone. When the doors closed she pressed the button to block the elevator and backed him up roughly against the wall.

"I've wanted this for so long." She said before she ripped his shirt off, all the buttons falling on the ground. "Mmh! Yummy!" She bit her lower lips while running her hands through his chiseled abs.

Brooke fused her lips with his while she undid his belt before unzipping his jeans. She couldn't quite suppress a moan when Lucas thrust up against her centre. He pushed aside the strap of her dress and trailed kisses accross her jaw and down her neck. grabbed her thighs and lifted her up before he walked a few steps until her back was against the wall, he almost died when she wrapped her legs around his waist, pressing up against his hardness. He wanted to take his time but she got him so worked up and they were in a fucking elevator. He would be more gentle next time when they'll be in his room. Besides Brooke didn't seem to be patient.

"You're so fucking hot!" He breathed in the crook of her neck before he skimmed his lips over it then trailed them down to her cleavage.

Brooke couldn't wait any longer. She felt like she'd explose if he didn't get inside of her really soon. She needed to satisfy the urge and it needed to be done just right now.  
>She pushed aside her thong and took his dick in his hand before putting it at her entrance.<p>

"I like a girl who takes initiatives." Lucas smirked as he plonged himself inside of her in one push.

"Fuck!" She groaned. "It feels so good."

He pounded her tight pussy like crazy. He couldn't get enough of her. She felt so fucking good and it felt better at each thrust.

"Harder!" Brooke commanded him. "Just like that."

Her moans were music to his ears. He didn't know where the fuck he was anymore and was already over the edge.

"God baby!" He tightly shut his eyes while he could feel her pussy clasping around him.

"Argh! I'm coming." Brooke cried out in pure pleasure as Lucas send them over the edge with one final thrust.

"Fuck!" He screamed after what seemed life hours of heated ecstasy although he had never come so quickly.

"I feel like I've cheated on you." Lucas joked while zipping his jeans.

"And you think that's funny?" She said as she hit his arm.

"You're crazy!"

"Well cheat on me and you'll find out how crazy I am."

* * *

><p><strong>So? Again I'm not quite sure of this one? Tell me what you think. If I lots of review I'll update fast. Next time Brucas wedding!<strong>


	26. Sorry

**Hey it's me,**

**I couldn't find the words to say how sorry I am. I know it's been ages that I didn't upload but I just couldn't find it in me. I was in some kind of existential crisis and depressed. **

**Now I just wanted to reassure you, I promise I'm gonna finish this story, I'm actually in the middle of the next chapter.**

**The main issue in my life is that I get easily bored and never bother to finish anything but I started this story as a challenge and I can't afford to fail. It would be too depressing. I need to do this. **

**So I don't even know if you still care about this story but I care.**

**Love you all **

**See you soon.**


	27. Chapter 24

**Sorry for the never ending wait. Thanks for your support btw, all your messages meant a lot! I'm so lucky to have such wonderful readers. I had a writer block in the middle of the chapter, then miraculously I found inspiration again but the chapter was too long so I had to cut it.  
><strong>**Here's the first part of the wedding chapters. Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>A delicious smell of french toast woke up Brooke in the morning. She had a huge grin on her face, it was finally the big day, her big day. She had dreamed of that day for the last twenty years.<p>

She sat on the edge of her bed when suddenly she had the urge to dance. She jumped out of bed and went down the grand stairs of The Hamptons mansion.

She put on an old record of _Wham_ and push the volume to the max. The first notes of_ Wake me up before you go go_ flooded the entire house and Brooke started to sing and dance in a silly way in her pajamas.

"Brooke! If you want to turn this house in a club at least put some good music." Nathan shouted over the music, amused by his little sister's antics. He couldn't bring himself to be mad at her when she seemed so happy.

"Come on Nate! Live a little." Brooke shouted over the music still dancing.

"Yeah Nate. Live a little." Peyton echoed as she came in the living room grabbing Nathan's hand to join Brooke.

Nathan groaned and stood still while the two girls were having the time of their lives but finally gave in to dance with them. They went wild like crazy kids, jumping until the end of the song.

"I love you so much, you wonderful jerks!" Brooke spoke trying to catch her breath.

"I'm gonna miss this." Peyton added out of breath from dancing.

"I definitely won't." Nathan admitted before Brooke punched his arm. "Ouch!" He cried in pain rubbing his arm.

"I want a slumber party at least once a month." Brooke demanded with teary eyes. She was starting to get emotional. "I'm serious." She added.

"Why are you crying?" Peyton asked Brooke. "Why is she crying?" She turned towards Nathan.

"Dunno." He shrugged. "She's acting like she's moving to the other side of the country since the other tool proposed."

"You two are cold hearted assholes." Brooke pouted wiping her eyes. "And quit insulting Lucas. He's going to be my husband in a few hours."

"There's still time to change your mind." Nathan pointed out arching his eyebrow.

"Nate!" Brooke said in a warning tone.

"I was joking." Nathan defended himself putting his hands up ahead of him.

The three of them sat on the floor in a comfortable silence in the middle of the room. It always had been the three of them, from the very beginning. Three lost kids deprived of love and family who decided to create their own instead.

"And here we are." Nathan broke the silence.

"There are lots of memories in there." Brooke said overwhelmed by nostalgia. "Good ones!"

"Do you remember how many times you forced me to marry the two of you here?" Nathan asked Brooke. "I swear you two ruined my childhood." He pretended to complain.

"Hey! I didn't like it more than you." Peyton protested. "Also, why did I always have to be the groom? How was it fair?"

"Easy tomboy!"

"I'm just saying that it would have made much more sense if the _real_ boy here played the groom. But I'm just saying I guess." Peyton continued.

"Ew!" Brooke and Nathan exclaimed in unison with a disgusted look on their faces.

"Peyt, we've been through this already. Unless you're in a Jaime/Cersei Lannister kind of shit, the idea of marrying your sister is just… it's plain wrong and disgusting even if it's not for real." Nathan said.

"I could have been the bride." Peyton shrugged.

"Now that's crazy talk! Everybody knows that I can only be the bride. I was born for this!" Brooke exclaimed.

"Well good for you Brooke. This is your day. You made it." Peyton sincerely cheered on.

"I made it." Brooke acknowledged before someone rang the doorbell.

"I'm on it. You two go eat. I made some french toasts." Nathan said before he disappeared.

* * *

><p>"Brooke just asked me to tell you to not be late. The make-up artist and the hairdresser will be there in two hours." Lucas announced to Haley while she was eating her breakfast.<p>

"Fine. Whatever." Haley replied nonchalantly and he sighed before he disappeared in the living room. They weren't in good terms yet.

"Two hours?!" Karen exclaimed. "It probably takes four hours to go."

"Oh! Since Nathan and Brooke are already there. They let us take the jet." Haley answered.

"Of course! They have a private jet." Karen said sarcastically.

"I'm sensing sarcasm here."

"It's just…" Karen trailed off, hesitating to speak her mind. "Never mind." She decided to keep it to yourself instead.

"Karen, it's okay. Trust me there's nothing you're thinking right now that I didn't think in the first place." Haley reassured her.

"Don't you think it's too much? I mean I'm really concerned about my son, I don't want him to lose himself. And those two poor babies, they're not even born yet and they're already talking about millions trust funds? This is insane! It's just asking for them to turn into spoiled rotten brats." Karen spoke freely.

"Brooke and Nathan are way too much." Haley said amused. "I mean Nathan had a birthday cake imported from Paris just to please his daughter. I went for a shopping session last week with Brooke and she spent nearly three hundred dollars for a shampoo and a conditioner… And would you believe that Nathan gave me a bracelet that cost him ten grounds for our first date?"

"It's even worse than I thought." Karen sighed.

"My point is…" Haley stopped to gather her thoughts. "Sure, Brooke and Nathan are way over the top and they don't have value of money whatsoever but, they have golden hearts. They give as much as they gain. They're both kind and loyal. They never let down their people. I think Lucas is very lucky to have her and god knows how lucky I am to have him."

"You love him." Karen realized smiling at Haley.

"Yeah." Haley muttered shyly. "I'm in love with him." She added with more certitude.

"I'm happy for you." Karen said fondly. She had seen her grow up. Haley was almost family.

"I'm terrified." Haley confessed.

"Oh sweetie. Why is that?"

"I think he's the one you know." Haley told half smiling. "God! I can't even believe I'm the one talking like this. I sound like a total sap. I could slap myself right now. This is just stupid. There's no such a thing. I'm being ridiculous…" She rambled.

"Haley." Karen cut her off. "Believing in true love is not ridiculous. It's not some legend. It does exist. Look at your parents. Look at Keith and I." She tried to reason with her.

"I know you're right. But look at all the shattered hearts. You're the lucky ones and when I look around me it seems that those kind of stories are so rare. I mean is it worth it?" Haley paused. "I feel like I keep buying lottery tickets for a prize that I'll probably never win. Or even worse, what if I win and suddenly everything is taken from me?"

"You have so much love in your heart Haley James and I get that letting it out is terrifying, that you want to protect yourself. But it would be such a waste. You can't go half way with love. Amazing things don't happen in your comfort zone."

"What if I get hurt? It'd kill me this time." Haley said in a tone full of worry.

"I guess it's a risk that you have to take. You asked me if it was worth it…" Karen trailed off. "It is. I think true love is the closest thing we have to magic. Now you can play it safe and protect yourself from heartbreaks but it's not a way to live if you ask me. You should never touch anything or anyone with half of your heart."

* * *

><p>Nathan opened the front door and found himself face to face with his grandfather and a man that he had never seen.<p>

"Grandpa." Nathan said very formally. "I didn't think you'd come."

"My only grand daughter is getting married. Where else would I be?" Royal Scott stated the obvious before they came in.

"Funny you've asked because I wondered the exact same thing multiple times; like the day we buried our mother, or that funny one, when everything went to hell, I mean you know when I had to put the love of my life into the ground, the mother of your great grand daughter! Tell me Grandpa, where were you?" Nathan said out of spite.

"I'm deeply sorry for that Nathan. Trust me I know what it's like when…" Royal trailed off looking down at his feet. "Well you know." He added vaguely. His voice was full of regret.

Royal Scott wasn't the best to demonstrate his affection and was likely to not give as much praise or positive support as others may need or desire. It wasn't that he didn't care it's just that he didn't know how to express it.

He had always been a rational man, always putting first what was needed to be done before what he felt and it got even worse when May Scott passed away. His wife was his entire world, she had managed to mellow him through the years but when she died, all her good work went through the window.

"I'm here to protect this family." Royal spoke again.

"Gee Grandpa! Always looking out for us." Nathan said sarcastically.

"I need to talk to Brooke." Royal ignored Nathan's sarcastic tone.

"Wait a minute…" Nathan trailed off looking at the man who was standing besides his grandfather. "Tell me that you didn't bring your attorney to make them sign a prenup?" He added hoping that his grandfather would deny.

"Somebody has to do what's need to be done." Royal simply replied.

"Of course you would." Nathan shook his head. "You do realize that you're going to ruin her day, right?"

"Nathan, I don't get any enjoyment out of this. But you have to understand that I have to protect my legacy, your legacy! My grandfather build this company from scratch." Royal explained.

"I know that Grandpa but…"

"I can't take that risk." Royal cut his grandson off.

"She'll never forgive you for not approving the man she loves." Nathan tried to reason with him.

"It's not about approval, you know that. I hardly know the man. Besides I didn't remember you ever being so fond of Brooke's boyfriends." Royal was surprised at Nathan's defensive manner.

"Well, a month ago she was ready to settle with Damien West so I guess Lucas is an improvement."

"I never liked the kid either." Royal confessed.

"I wish your son had thunk the same way. That little piece of shit nearly ruined her." Nathan said bitterly.

"Your father genuinely thought that it was a good match."

"Yeah right." Nathan laughed without humor. "He set her up with the devil himself. He knew that she'd be miserable her whole life with him but he didn't care. But then again, what can you expect from a man who made his wife's life a living hell."

"I know that your relationship with your father was complicated." Royal stopped to think, trying to find the good words to defend his deceased son. He wasn't aware of the damages he had done to his grandkids.

"I hate him!" Nathan snapped. "He's been gone for five years and I still hate him like I've just seen him yesterday."

"You don't mean that."

"But I do mean it! It's always there!" Nathan got it out off his chest.

"I know my son wasn't perfect but…"

"Can we stop talking about him?" Nathan interrupted him.

"But…" Royal protested.

"Grandpa please." Nathan insisted.

"Fine." Royal sighed.

Through the years, Nathan had thought several time to told the truth to his grandfather but never could bring himself to do it. The man seemed miserable enough in the first place, even if he hid it very well. There was no need to make it worse.

"So, what is he like?" Royal Scott changed of subject. He didn't feel like pushing the issue.

"I'm surprised you haven't done your homework." Nathan replied knowing right away who he was talking about.

"Lucas Eugene Roe, grew up in a little town in North Carolina, dad is a former U.S. Marines, mom owns a little café in town, smart kid, great basket ball player, got a full-ride scholarship to Duke, graduate with honors, and is now one of the most promising writer of his generation." Royal went on. "I did my homework but I still have no idea what kind of man he is. I was thinking you could give me an idea."

"He's not too bad I guess." Nathan shrugged his shoulders.

"Is that all?" Royal asked amused by his grandson's lack of conviction.

"I don't know! What do you want me to say?" Nathan shrugged again. He wasn't particularly thrilled about complimenting Lucas.

"Well, is he a man of his words? Is he gentleman? For instance, does he open the door for her? Does he put his coat on her shoulder when it's cold outside? Does he take care of her when she's sick? When they fight, does he take the blame even if she's wrong? Does he laugh at her jokes? Does he really listen to her? Does he shift to the dangerous side when they're crossing the street? Does he treat her like the real princess that she is? I mean does he love her unconditionally?"

"Now this man that you've just described would be a total sap. It's the 21st century, nobody does that anymore."

"If I remember right, you didn't mind to be a _total sap_ not so long ago." Royal replied mimicking Nathan's word.

"I know. I'm probably the last idiot." Nathan stated with a certain degree of self-mocking.

"I'm afraid you're right. It's a pity if you ask me."

Nathan took a few seconds to collect his thoughts and started to speak but not before he let escape a huge sigh. "I don't know about all that. He's probably not a gentleman, not according to your standard anyway. What I do know though, is that, he was ready to marry her even if he thought that she was carrying someone else's child. He was willing to raise that child like his own. I think it's saying something."

"It surely is." Royal seemed satisfied with Nathan's answer.

"Now would you consider to back off with that prenup stuff?"

"Not a chance kid."

* * *

><p>On the plane, Haley was absorbed in her book, <em>One hundred years of solitude, <em>while Lucas was playing cards with his little sister.  
>Grace was watching them, shaking her head, '<em>Those two idiots haven't spoke to each other for the entire morning'<em> she thought to herself.

"That's enough!" Grace shouted finally drawing both their attention. "You two are being childish and I'm only five years old. Don't you think it's ridiculous?"

"I like that kid." Keith said to Lucas pointing his finger at Grace.

"She certainly has a point. You two have been friends since forever. What the hell happened?" Karen asked her son.

"Look, I'm really sorry you feel betrayed Hales." Lucas sighed. "I was just trying to protect you. That's what friends do."

"You're sorry I feel betrayed? That's how you apologize?" Haley asked incredulous.

"I was worried about you. I did what anybody would have done." Lucas tried to explain.

"So you're not actually sorry about what you've done?" She asked again.

"Hales." Lucas said in a sigh. "Would you forgive me?" He asked almost begging.

"Luke. I almost lost him because of you. After all that I've been through. I couldn't have even dream of this. He is it! He's my shot at love, at happiness, at a normal life and you risked everything. I don't know if I ever be able to trust you again."

"Haley you don't under…"

"Lucas! This is your day." Haley cut him off. "I'm done talking about this." She said firmly before she immersed herself in her book again.

Maybe Haley wasn't ready to forgive him but she wouldn't ruin his big day. You didn't erase a twenty years friendship. The roots were strong here.

* * *

><p>"Ryan Seacrest keep calling." Peyton said after she had listened to her voicemail.<p>

"And I'm not interested." Nathan replied while eating his eggs.

"Why in the world is Ryan Seacrest calling you?" Brooke asked puzzled while drinking her green smoothie.

"Well, he has some kind of project for your family."

"And I'm telling you, America won't keep up with the Scotts!" Nathan spoke again.

"Who the hell is Ryan Seacrest?" Royal Scott asked.

"Wait! He wants to do a reality show about our family?" Brooke looked now excited. "That's awesome! And why did I not know about this?" She asked her brother.

"Because I knew you would react like this and I despised real TV and Ryan fucking Seacrest. Besides this is the last thing we need."

"I think you're wrong. Our family is fun and interesting." Brooke begged to differ.

"Our family is fifty shades of fucked up."

"But I'm all kinds of amazing and I think that America deserves to know." Brooke pouted while praising herself.

"No fucking way Brooke! We won't expose our lives on National TV." Nathan finally said.

"We'll see about that." Brooke said before she left the kitchen.

"That kid had always been as stubborn as a mule." Royal pointed out amused by his grand daughter's obstinacy.

Between the news of Brooke's pregnancy, her engagement to a young promising writer and Nathan dating the pretty spokeswoman of the Mayor of New York, needless to say that the tabloids were very interested in them lately. So it didn't surprised Nathan when Peyton told him than Ryan Seacrest had called at the office and wanted to talk about a new tv show project. Nathan wasn't interested, he wanted his privacy, he wanted to protect his daughter and Haley. That's why he had decided to not inform his sister. He knew that she would be crazy about the idea, he could even predict her arguments, how they were amazing, how it would help their company. He could even picture her using his daughter's condition and tell him how it would be an incredible exposure, that it would be a chance to make people more sensitive and aware of this disease, that maybe it would move things along. Well he wouldn't have it.

* * *

><p>"Royal Scott. I'm Brooke's grandfather." Royal introduced himself to Lucas and his parents.<p>

"Nice to meet you." Lucas said as they were shaking hands.

"I wish I got to know you but…" Royal trailed off. "Anyway I'm gonna cut the crap and get to the heart of the matter." He continued getting everyone besides Nathan confused.

Brooke noticed that Nathan looked tense. It couldn't be any good.

"I'm gonna need you two to sign this." Royal told handing the papers to Brooke.

"What is this?"

"An insurance." Royal replied to his grand daughter.

"No!" Brooke snapped throwing the papers at his grandfather. "You knew about this?" She asked to her brother in a accusing tone.

"Brooke would you care to explain?" Lucas asked a little lost.

"Baby." She just said apologizing with her eyes.

"What is going on?" Karen jumped into the conversation.

"Nothing major. I just want them to sign the prenup." Royal gave a straight answer to Karen.

"This is the last straw!" Karen shouted looking shocked.

"I'm really sorry Mrs. Roe." Brooke apologized again before she turned towards her grand father. "With all due respect Grandpa, you've got a lot of nerve to show up with those papers. I want you to leave." She was infuriated.

"Brooke!" Lucas interrupted her. "It's okay." He continued grabbing the papers on the floor and the pen before he started to sign without even reading them.

"Lucas. You don't have to."

"Really it's okay, I want to." Lucas reassured her. "We're family now and I got your back because I love you and I value family. You shouldn't argue with your grand father, especially not today. Those papers, it's his way to got your back. Just let it go."

"I love you." Brooke whispered.

After an awkward silence, Royal walked toward the two love birds and took the papers from Lucas' hands before he ripped them apart.

"Welcome to the family Son." Royal said to Lucas shaking his hand again. "This one is a keeper." He said to Brooke.

_'What was I saying again ? Yeah, fifty shades of fucked up!' _Nathan thought to himself as he was watching the scene in front of him.

* * *

><p>When Brooke finally walked down the aisle under the colossal glass roof of the Hamptons mansion with her brother, after that Cat Power played with her ukulele the first notes of <em>Sea of love, <em>everything felt like a fairy tale. She realized that Lucas was right. It didn't matter how many people were there because she could only see him. Him and his idiotic blissful smile.

_Come with me _

_My love _

_To the sea _

_The sea of love _

Lucas looked at Brooke with adoration, thinking that she couldn't be next to him soon enough. When he had seen her the first time in her Vera Wang dress, she had taken his breath away, but it had little to do with the dress, it was the overwhelming sensation of realizing that in a near future this beautiful and amazing woman in front him was going to be his for the rest of their lives. Now it was finally happening, and he knew that she was in the exact same dress, but it felt like he was looking at her for the very first time.

_I wanna tell you _

_How much _

_I love you_

Brooke was halfway of the aisle, when she felt something special. Everything felt like suspended. She looked up only to see that it was starting to snow. When she was a kid and it was snowing her mother used to tell her that angels were having a pillow fight. Today, that's how she knew that she was with her.

_Do you remember _

_When we met? _

_That's the day _

_I knew you were my pet_

Lucas was mesmerized. Brooke was still looking up with a childish smile and teary eyes and he fell in love with her all over again. He loved the contradiction that she was. The paradoxical way that she had to look like a fierce queen while having this innocent look on her face. In the future if he ever doubted his love for her, he knew that he would just have to remember this image of her. This exquisite image forever engraved on his memory.

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry again! Hope you liked the first part, or else what's the point.<br>****Next time the second part.**


	28. Chapter 25

**Hey! I know it's been a while and I'm so sorry. I promise I'm trying to finish this story, no I'll finish this story there are only 2 or 3 chapters and probably an epilogue left anyway.**

**So someone told me (I don't remember who) that I was writing an insufferable and very annoying Brooke. That's really not my intent because with Nathan she's actually my favorite character on the show. Here I was going for a whimsical, determined and sometimes a little childish but very loyal with a heart of gold Brooke. I'd like to have your thoughts about that? I'm open to any criticism, if you don't like the Brooke I wrote I'll try to rectify my writing.**

**Anyway here's the rest of Brucas' wedding day.**

**Have a nice day**

* * *

><p>"So I'm gonna start because you're a writer so there's no doubt that your vows are gonna be much better and I don't want the pressure to speak after you." Brooke said to Lucas laughing nervously before she paused and took a deep breath. "I wanted this day to be perfect, but I promise you that I'm not here with you because of the big party, the fancy clothes, the good food, the cake or the gifts. I would marry you again today in a flash flood, in a hurricane, in nuclear holocaust, in rain, in sleet, in blizzards, wearing a burlap sack with a half-crazed officiant who barely spoke broken English. And I know that I'm a spoilt child but I would marry you even if all that awaited us was a cardboard box and roach roommates so that we could be together each day." She started to recite in front of everyone. "And if in the far-off future someone were to ask me what my life's achievements were… I would say that it was the time living by your side, spending forever with you, loving you and holding you." She finished looking tenderly at him.<p>

"First of all, I want to thank you for setting incredible expectations on me. Way to ruin my speech Pretty girl!" Lucas said winking at her and she stuck out her tongue at him.

Lucas cleared his throat before he started. "I, take you Brooke, to be my lawfully wedded lucky-wishbone, my little baby, best friend and fellow bandit. Whom I'm solemnly swear to love and to cherish, from this day forward, for better and most especially for worse, to fill your heart full of hell yes if it's what you need most, to kiss you so damn hard that it starts a hurricane on the other side of the earth. Our love will be bare-knuckled, bloodied, baby, brazen like a street brawl. Our love will be a wildfire I'll reignite every morning at dawn. I vow to stand by you, at your side like a loaded sidearm slung to a brown leather gun-belt. I would drag myself through all seven hells to find you then air-lift you out like it was nothing but some B-grade, two star, 90s action movie. But I digress." He paused. "I now commit myself to you, the very same way a star commit to a constellation, I am but one small strand of your collective brilliance. But I promise to you now, that has always been and will always be enough. Because you see for me it's not 'I do', from the minute that I saw you, in my heart, it already was."

A single tear rolled down Brooke's cheek and despite the rules Lucas moved towards her and gently wiped it away then he kissed her cheek tenderly. He just couldn't resist.

Peyton and Haley gave the rings to Brooke and Lucas and the two of them exchanged them as an eternal symbol of their love and commitment.

"By the power vested in me by the State of New York I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now ki…" The minister started to say but was cut off by Lucas who was eager to kiss his bride.

Lucas kissed Brooke intensely like he actually wanted to start that hurricane on the other side of the earth, then he picked her up and twirled her around a few times.

The guests stood up and applauded as the new married couple were leading out, running like wild children.

* * *

><p>Chan Marshall invited Brooke and Lucas on the dance floor before she started to play the first notes of Where is my love. Lucas didn't feel like he was dancing probably because he was so busy to look at her. Her glassy eyes were smiling at him and he silently thanked whoever was up in the sky for that day when he decided to celebrate his birthday in that club. When he first saw her, she felt undeniable, as if they had been star-crossed lovers in all kinds of parallel universes. It just felt like if they weren't together the world would crash or something.<p>

_Where is my love?_

_Where is my love?_

_Horses galloping_

_Bring him to me_

_Where is my love?_

_Where is my love?_

_Horses running free_

_Carrying you and me_

"Penny for your thoughts."

"I was thinking of another world with you as this very opinionated and strong Greek queen who was wooed by men from all over the world and me as this knight who likes to fight dirty to get what he wants." Lucas told her.

"Oh! And tell me, what do you want in this world?" Brooke asked playfully.

"You. No matter what universe Baby, you're all what I want." Lucas said completely losing himself into her eyes, that he didn't know if he could ever find his way back. Not that he wanted to anyway.

* * *

><p>Nathan took his fifth glass of champagne as Brooke came to sit next to him.<p>

"Huh huh! No moping on my wedding day." Brooke ordered to her brother with a gentle smile.

"I'm not moping, I'm savoring your Dom Perignon."

"I bet today brings back a lot of memories." Brooke ignored his superficial answer.

"Come on sis'! This is your dream come true. You deserve it. I really wanted this for you. Don't waste your time worrying about your big brother. Enjoy your big day, I don't know go dance with your husband. I'm fine I swear."

"The truth is, I'm feeling a little down myself." Brooke confessed.

"What's wrong?" Nathan asked concerned after he put down his flute of champagne.

"I just wish she was there with us. That don't seem fair at all to me." Brooke said with teary eyes.

"You can be sad Brooke, or even angry. I get it. Trust me I've been down that road before. Mum was gone way too soon and we never had the chance to have a proper father. But we had each other, do you know how lucky we are?" Nathan paused to collect his thoughts. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that... I couldn't have foreseen that great thing that would follow our mother's death. You know, that deeper love I have for you. The extraordinary connexion that we have. I've been lucky enough to fall in love twice, and here I am today loving a girl so much that it hurts but no matter how hard I'm gonna fall for this girl, you will always be my one. And if that girl crushes my soul, I know I'll always have a home to come back to."

"I love you brother." Brooke managed to say through her tears.

"Come here." Nathan took her in his arms.

"I feel like she was there with us today. I kept praying for snow you know… and it actually happened when we were walking down the aisle. I can't help but think that she made it happen." Brooke confessed wrapped up in her brother's arm. "Do you think this is crazy?"

"That would be rich coming from a guy who is talking to his dead beloved wife from time to time." Nathan said sarcastically.

"Victoire would have loved Haley. Especially feisty Haley, you know the one who constantly brought you down a peg or two." Brooke said in a joking mood. "Whoever she is now. I can practically hear her say 'You go girl! Give him hell!'"

"Yeah." He chuckled. "She would have adored her! Did you know that the first time I met Vic she called me a moron in french? And I stupidly kept smiling at her because I couldn't understand what she was saying." Nathan told his sister laughing softly at the memory.

"That sounds like her." Brooke laughed too.

"God I miss her." Nathan sighed, his throat tightening and the champagne starting to get to his head.

"I don't miss her that much today." Brooke frowned. "She would have shown up in an awful 90's mom jeans with a Bob Dylan tee and still managed to look better than me." She joked.

"She wouldn't have dared."

"Really?" Brooke raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, you're probably right on that one." Nathan laughed. "I remember looking at her that day as she was walking in the frat house… She was a bright light disclosing the distressing banality. Everyone and everything looked plain in comparison to her."

"Yeah, she had the indecency to look beautiful inside and out without even trying."

"She was the sun and I figured that nothing would ever shine brighter than her. So when she died I decided that I would stayed by myself, that I won't ever get involved with someone again. I just couldn't stand mediocrity, you know? But who would have thought that the universe would manage to surprise me again. Haley is so beautifully flawed, darkly enchanting like a melancholic sonata." Nathan said with a tipsy smile.

"The way you talk about them, it's like poetry."

"That's the alcohol talking." Nathan justified.

"Come on brother! You know I know better."

"I hate that I can't fool you."

"I know that underneath this cold behavior is the purest and most sensitive heart."

"Yeah whatever." Nathan rolled his eyes.

"I think that you should marry her." Brooke blurted out.

"What?!" Nathan almost spat his champagne.

"Have another kid, maybe two." Brooke continued.

"Brooke I know that it's your wedding day, but you're not allowed to drink."

"I'm not drunk silly! That's you. It's just…" Brooke trailed off trying to collect her thoughts. "What were the odds? I mean after all the fucking assholes I stumble across here I am today. And look at her?" Brooke asked her brother as she was pointing Haley who was dancing with Grace and Lily.

It was already late or rather early in the morning and Cat Power band had already left. Nothing compares 2U by Sinéad O'Connor was playing and only the three of them and a couple were slow dancing on the dance floor. Haley had removed her high heels and made them spin alternately.

"Today feels like a new beginning." Brooke said hopefully.

"Yeah it kinda does." Nathan replied to his sister while he was looking with heart eyes at Haley.

"Promise me something, would you?" Brooke asked Nathan.

"What?"

"Be happy Nate. Life is short so live it and not in a half ass way. There's no such a thing as too fast or too big. Do what makes you happy. No regrets."

"So you want me to go on that dance floor, get on one knee and ask her to marry me on your wedding day? You're insane!" Nathan said a little too loudly.

"Now on that dance floor, tomorrow or next month, whatever, just do it!"

"Now that's crazy talk!" Nathan threw his arms in the air.

"What's wrong with a little crazy?" Brooke asked him before she left him to meet Lucas and Nathan shook his head.

* * *

><p>Everyone had left, even Brooke and Lucas who had to catch their plane to French Polynesia in only five hours. After that Nathan had managed to put Grace to bed, not that it was easy considering his state of intoxication, he went back to the ball room where he found Haley sat at a table looking quite preoccupied.<p>

"Hey Beautiful." Nathan said lowering himself behind her to put his arms around her and kiss her temple.

"Hey." She replied forcing a smile.

"What's wrong?" He asked as he sat on the chair next to her.

"This is not the day to talk about this."

"Haley it's okay. You can talk to me." He reassured her. "Please." He begged.

"I'm… I'm pregnant." She said hesitantly biting her lower lip.

"Really?" He beamed. He wanted to take her in his arms and twirl her around.

"Nathan I…" She started to say.

"God! I'm so happy right now. You have no idea how happy you just ma…"

"Nathan!" She cut him off. "I don't want to keep it." She said bluntly.

"Wh… I'm sorry I don't understand."

"I can barely take care of myself. I just can't have a baby right now."

Did someone just punch him in the face? Because it certainly felt like it. He didn't know if he was even breathing at the moment. But that just made sense, every time his life was starting to go well something couldn't wait to fuck it all up because God forbid that a Scott can catch a fucking break and be happy for fucking once.

* * *

><p><strong>So? How was it? I didn't write Lucas vows because I don't have enough talent to write writer's wedding vow. I found them on Pinterest.<strong>

**Please leave a review if you want me to finish this story.**

**See you soon hopefully.**


End file.
